KABUL, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The newly appointed chief of the U.S. Central Command General David Petraeus on Wednesday held meeting here with Afghanistan Defense Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak and they exchanged views on situation in the country, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi said.

    "The two sides exchanged views on issues of strengthening Afghan security forces, boosting international troops, civilian casualties and cooperation among the U.S., Afghanistan and Pakistan in war on terrorism," Azimi told newsmen after their meeting.

    This is the first visit of the top U.S. regional commander to war-torn Afghanistan.

    During his stay in Afghanistan, Petraeus will meet Afghan leaders and top U. S. and NATO military officials, including DavidD. McKiernan, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

    Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday, in a press conference immediately after the announcement of the result of U.S. Presidential polls, called for change in the U.S. strategyon Afghan war.

    "The war on terror should be conducted in areas where the sanctuaries of terrorists and their training centers exist," he added.

    However, Karzai did not specify any areas while Afghan officials often say that Taliban militants and their al-Qaida allied insurgents have taken shelter in northwestern Pakistan's tribal areas along the Afghan border.

    Spiraling conflicts and Taliban-linked insurgency have claimed around 5,000 people with over 1500 civilians despite around 70,000 international forces, nearly half of them from U.S., have been deployed.