2nd LD Writethru: U.S. VP pays pre-Christmas visit to troops in Afghanistan

KABUL, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence paid a pre-Christmas visit to American troops in Afghanistan, authorities said on Friday.

The visiting U.S. vice president also met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and discussed various topics Thursday night, the Afghan Presidential Palace said.

The meeting took place at the Presidential Palace in Kabul and was attended by senior Afghan government officials.

"President Ghani welcomed Vice-President Pence and his delegation and appreciated the sacrifices of U.S. soldiers, along with Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), in the fight against terrorism. The president also commended the continued support of the U.S. for the people and government of Afghanistan," the presidential palace said in a statement.

"The two sides stressed that 2017 has been a year full of achievements in terms of developing the security and defense sectors and focused counter-narcotics efforts. They reiterated the need for timely parliamentary and presidential elections," it added.

Ghani stated that Afghan-U.S. relations are built on mutual strategic interests and are being strengthened further, the statement added, noting that "the president called the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia an opportunity for peace and stability in Afghanistan, which is central to stability and development in the entire region."

Pence reaffirmed that the United States will continue and further enhance its support to the government and people of Afghanistan. He commended the performance of the ANDSF and acknowledged the efforts of the Afghan government to fight corruption, promote effective governance, further the peace process and pursue regional cooperation.

"Vice-President Pence remarked that peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan constitute the pivotal objectives of the U.S. Strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia. He assured the Afghan government of continued U.S. assistance in areas of economic development and efforts to pursue peace and stability," according to the statement.

Foreign dignitaries usually pay unannounced visit to militancy-hit Afghanistan and return to their home countries secretly due to security concerns. Enditem