US President Barack Obama will meet NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday to discuss the global and regional security issues, including Afghanistan, from where they are preparing for the final withdrawal by the end of 2014.
"The President looks forward to discussing global and regional security concerns with the Secretary General to include ending the war in Afghanistan while building an enduring partnership with the Afghan government, sustaining and improving allied defence capabilities and transatlantic burden sharing and further enhancing NATO's network of capable partners," the White House said yesterday.
Obama will meet Rasmussen at the White House on May 31.
"As the most successful alliance in history, NATO lies at the heart of the transatlantic relationship, serving as the bedrock for building shared approaches to the security challenges we share with our 27 NATO allies," the White House said.
Meeting between the two leaders comes ahead of NATO Defence Ministers meet in Brussels next month.
"The Secretary General's visit underscores the vital importance the United States places on the North Atlantic Alliance and our relationship with Europe and commitment to tackle challenges from Afghanistan to the Balkans to the Indian Ocean together," the White House said.
