US President Barack Obama today said he would keep 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2015, at the conclusion of talks with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani.
"Based on President Ghani's request for flexibility in the US draw down timeline, the US will maintain its current posture of 9,800 troops through the end of 2015," Obama said in a joint statement issued after the talks here.
The specific trajectory of the 2016 US troop draw down will be established later in 2015 to enable the US troop consolidation to a Kabul-based embassy presence by the end of 2016, the joint statement said.
"This flexibility reflects the re-invigorated partnership with Afghanistan, which is aimed at making Afghanistan secure and preventing it from being used to launch terrorist attacks," it said.
"Reconciliation and a political settlement remain the surest way to achieve the full retrograde of US and foreign troops from Afghanistan in a way that safeguards international interests and peace in Afghanistan, as well as US national security interests," the joint statement added.
Obama also welcomed Af-Pak peace talks initiated by Ghani, and reiterated his support to a Afghan-led reconciliation talks with the Taliban.
"Obama welcomed recent developments in Afghan-Pakistani relations," a joint US-Afghan statement said issued at the conclusion of talks at the White House.
"Both leaders emphasised the importance of continued efforts to advance Afghan-Pakistani dialogue aimed at building trust and producing tangible progress in the peace process, and improving the security situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region at large," the statement said.
While reaffirming their determination to cooperate against those who advocate violence and extremism, Obama and Ghani also stressed the need for an Afghan-led peace process, enjoying regional support, in particular from Pakistan, noting that as a part of the outcome of any such process, the Taliban and other armed opposition groups must end violence, break ties with international terrorist groups, and accept Afghanistan's constitution, including its protections for the rights of women and minorities.
Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah emphasised their mutual and strong determination to advance a reconciliation process based on these principles.
Obama reaffirmed strong US support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process and committed to make available additional financial support for the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme (APRP) to facilitate the peaceful reintegration of former combatants into their local communities, the joint statement said.
Calling on all countries in the region to support Afghanistan's security, stability and prosperity, the two presidents endorsed efforts to deepen the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process.
