Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani will visit the White House next month as the U.S. finalizes options to slow the drawdown of troops there.
Ghani is expected to arrive in Washington March 24. Ghani will address a joint session of Congress, House Speaker John Boehner announced Friday.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter met with Ghani last week in Kabul, during the Carter’s first trip there as defense secretary, and during the visit Ghani pushed for the U.S. to extend U.S. troop presence there. Carter is considering various options that leave more U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2015. The administration’s current plan reduces the number of U.S. troops there from more than 10,000 to 5,500 by the end of year.
Carter has expressed his willingness to slow the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to best support the new Afghan government, but he “has not come to any conclusions” on what recommendations he will present to President Obama, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said Friday.
Ghani is also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry during the visit, the White House said.
