WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Friday, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.
In a statement summarizing the meeting, Cook said Carter and Ghani discussed the ongoing mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan forces as they confront the Taliban, secure their country and work closely with the United States to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a safe haven.
They also discussed the current security situation and the role Afghanistan’s new A-29 aircraft will play in the future, the press secretary said.
“Secretary Carter welcomed President Ghani’s thanks for the continuing sacrifice of U.S. forces and President Obama’s decision to maintain a significant U.S. military presence in country, both in 2016 and beyond,” Cook said.
They also discussed Afghan international outreach efforts in advance of the NATO summit, scheduled for July in Warsaw, Poland, he added.
Carter underscored the U.S. commitment to the enduring defense partnership between the United States and Afghanistan, Cook said, and they agreed to continue the close coordination between their countries.
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