US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin meets Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul

United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is in Kabul , met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani yesterday. In the meeting both expressed their concerns over the increase of violence in the country. Austin stressed that the lasting peace is the main solution for the current situation in Afghanistan.

 

Austin's trip comes after he paid a visit to India, where he met Indian officials. Sources said that he with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the Afghan conflict. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, during his visit to India, stated that US President Joe Biden has not made a final decision on the pullout of US



troops from Afghanistan yet.

 

Meanwhile, Russia on Thursday hosted the international conference on Afghanistan. Russia, United States, China and Pakistan released a joint statement calling on the Afghan sides to reach a peace deal  to curb violence, and on the Taliban not to launch any offensives in the spring and summer.

 

Recently, it was reported that the US is reviewing the Doha agreement with the Taliban. Doha agreement was signed in February, 2020 between the Taliban and United States with an aim to end about two-decade old conflict in Afghanistan.