Afghan president, U.S. vice president discuss Afghan situation over phone

Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-08 16:22:47|Editor: Zhou Xin
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KABUL, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani held a telephone conversation on Tuesday evening with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on situation in Afghanistan and the region, the presidential palace said on Wednesday.

"The two sides exchanged views over topics of mutual and regional interests. Issues that figured their conversation mainly revolved around implementation of the lately unveiled U.S. strategy and its region-wide impact, reinforcement of the Afghan defense and security sector, counter-terrorism struggles, reforms, anti-corruption efforts, the peace process and conduct of elections," the palace said in a statement.

In the phone conversation, Pence reaffirmed U.S. commitment to Afghans, saying that "the people and government of the United States will continue staying together with and supporting the Afghan government and people."

The two leaders also talked over ways of boosting mutual cooperation and assistance which can consequently contribute towards strengthening stability as well as ensuring development in Afghanistan and the region, the statement read.

In August, U.S. President Donald Trump in his strategy on Afghanistan besides terming Taliban as a terrorist group and vowing to target the militants and their supporters, also promised to increase the troops' number in the insurgency-plagued country.

The NATO and U.S. forces completed their combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, after 13 years of military presence.

But some 13,000 foreign forces are currently stationed in Afghanistan for the NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission to help Afghan forces in the fields of training, advising and backing them in the war on insurgents.

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