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Obama to host Afghan president, CEO at White House in late March

Xinhua, February 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. President Barack Obama will host Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah at the White House on March 24, the White House said Friday.

This visit marks the first meeting between the two presidents at the White House following the 2014 presidential election, which produced the first democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan's history, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement.

Obama and Ghani will discuss a range of issues including security, economic development, and U.S. support to the Afghan-led reconciliation process, Earnest said.

"President Ghani's visit highlights the importance of continuing bilateral cooperation and the American commitment to our U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership to reinforce regional security and sustain the achievements of the last 13 years," Earnest said.

While in Washington from March 22-25, Ghani and his delegation will also engage in a high-level strategic dialogue hosted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at Camp David.

The Afghan leader's visit comes as the U.S. is reviewing the timetable for military forces drawdown in Afghanistan. The new U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Saturday, said the withdrawal plan of U.S. troops will be discussed in further details during Ghani's visit to Washington.

After the end of combat mission of NATO-led forces in late December 2014 in Afghanistan, a contingent of more than 12,000 NATO-led troops, including around 10,800 of Americans have remained in Afghanistan to train and advise Afghan national security forces.

Under Obama's drawdown plan, the 10,800-strong U.S. troops remained in Afghanistan beyond 2014 is due to drop to some 5,500 by the end of 2015 and then pull out altogether by early 2017 except 1,000 forces to provide security for American embassy in the country. Endite