US will continue to support Afghan people, says Prez Biden

US President Joe Biden has announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year, thus bringing to an end the country's longest war, spanning across two decades. Subsequently, Mr Biden called Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and assured full support to the country.

New Delhi:US President Joseph R Biden on Wednesday called up Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, a statement issued by the White House said.

This comes a day after Biden announced the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, marking the 20th anniversary of al Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks that pushed America into its longest war.

A snapshot grabbed from the official Twitter handle of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani

During the telephonic conversation late night, President Biden emphasized that the United States will continue to support the Afghan people, including through continued development, humanitarian, and security assistance.

Afghanistan President Ghani later took to Twitter, "Tonight, I had a call with President Biden in which we discussed the U.S. decision to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by early September. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan respects the U.S. decision and we will work with our U.S. partners to ensure a smooth transition."

They discussed continued commitment to a strong bilateral partnership following the departure of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and affirmed shared respect and gratitude for the sacrifices made by American forces, alongside NATO allies and operational partners, as well as by the Afghan people and Afghan service members over the past two decades, the statement from the White House statement read.

President Biden and President Ghani reaffirmed their shared conviction that every effort should be made to achieve a political settlement so that the people from Afghanistan can live in peace.

The United States under the Biden administration has been playing a crucial role in bringing an end to ethnic violence in the war-torn country of Afghanistan.

The Istanbul Conference on Afghan Peace Process is slated to be held from April 24 to May 4 between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban. Turkey will host the Istanbul Conference.