Pompeo reinforces US commitment to Afghanistan

WASHINGTON: The new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated US economic and military support to Afghanistan on Saturday.

In a first telephone call to Ashraf Ghani, the secretary commended the Afghan president for his efforts to reform institutions to ensure the upcoming parliamentary elections as transparent, credible and on time.

"Secretary Pompeo reinforced our enduring investment in Afghanistan as outlined in the President's South Asia strategy, and expressed support for the Afghan military's defence," the department spokesperson Heather Nauert told media. The two leaders discussed the strong partnership between the United States and Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism and our support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process, according to the spokesperson. Before Secretary Pompeo took charge, Deputy Secretary John Sullivan had been instrumental in bringing the Afghan concerns to fore and even travelled to Kabul tohold high level meetings. During his trip in the last days of January, Sullivan consulted President Ghani about progress made on security, reforms, and peace initiatives. The US had then insisted on holding timely and inclusive elections and prioritising the importance of maintaining political stability.