Kabul: United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in a previously unannounced visit to Kabul.
The talks on Sunday came at a crucial time for the efforts to achieve peace in Afghanistan as US President Joe Biden’s administration reviews its plan for the country before a May troop withdrawal deadline agreed to by the Trump administration with the Taliban.
In a statement, the presidential palace said Austin and Ghani discussed the peace process and concerns over rising violence. There was no mention of the US meeting a May 1 deadline to pull its forces out of Afghanistan.
Austin said on Twitter he had come to “listen and learn”, on his first trip to the country since his appointment by Biden.
“This visit has been very helpful for me, and it will inform my participation in the review we are undergoing here with [Biden],” he added.
