Afghan leaders head to Washington to meet Biden

President Ashraf Ghani left Kabul on Wednesday evening along with a high level delegation for a two-day official visit to Washington, the Presidential Palace (ARG) said.

“He will meet US President Joe Biden, other administration officials and US lawmakers, ARG said.

Ghani is accompanied by First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, foreign minister Haneef Atmar, National Security adviser Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) chairwoman Shahzad Akbar and other government officials.

Abdullah’s office said that Abdullah will meet with Biden, other American officials and the lawmakers to discuss “a wide range of issues pertaining to current and future relations, commitments and peace.”

The Afghan Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said a delegation from the AIHRC has traveled to the US with Ghani to discuss the human rights situation in Afghanistan.

AIHRC also said humanitarian aid to the country, and support for human rights defenders and civil society will be discussed. Violations of international humanitarian law in the country will be addressed.

Meanwhile, Whitehouse spokesman Jen Psaki has said the timeline for troops withdrawal will not change by September and that part of the discussion between Biden and Ghani on Friday will be on Biden’s commitment to working with the Afghan government in future.

The discussion will also probably take in Biden’s commitment to providing humanitarian support and over-the-horizon support around security, Psaki said.

This comes after the White House said that: “President Biden looks forward to welcoming Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, to the White House on June 25, 2021.”