US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a phone call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to note that Washington continues to support the country’s security and back a political resolution of the conflict, Spokesperson for the US State Department Ned Price said in a statement, Trend reports citing TASS.
According to him, the department heads had this call "to stress that the United States remains invested in the security and stability of Afghanistan in the face of violence by the Taliban." "Secretary Blinken affirmed that the United States remained committed to support a political solution to the conflict," the statement adds.
Blinken and Austin also informed Ghani that Washington "is reducing our civilian footprint in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation and will accelerate the tempo of Special Immigration Visa (SIV) flights." "The Secretaries both emphasized that the United States remains committed to maintaining a strong diplomatic and security relationship with the Government of Afghanistan," Price pointed out. Blinken, Austin and Ghani also "exchanged views on the security environment in Afghanistan, efforts to curb violence, and ongoing diplomatic efforts."