美国阿富汗领导人会谈,争取改善双边关系

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani meets U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday, amid questions about the future U.S. military presence in the war-torn country.

President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who head a power-sharing government, met top U.S. officials on Tuesday including Secretary of State John Kerry, who praised the talks as "productive."

The discussions are aimed at improving bilateral relations that have been strained by nearly 14 years of war and America's often testy relations with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

During the Monday talks, the leaders addressed Mr. Ghani's concerns regarding security, ahead of the spring months that have traditionally seen more frequent than usual Taliban attacks.

To help shore up stability, the United States announced it would ask Congress for funding to allow the Afghan National Security Force to maintain the 352,000 troop level through at least fiscal year 2017.

Both sides also agreed to require the Afghan government to complete specific reforms and meet other milestones in order to receive up to $800 million in economic aid. U.S. officials said the Afghans suggested the incentive-based funding idea.