Obama, Rasmussen to talk Afghan transition

WASHINGTON (PAN Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the White House on Friday.

“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…” the White House said Tuesday.

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.

The meeting comes ahead of the meeting of NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels next month. US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will also attend the meeting.

Also on Tuesday, NATO Military Committee Chairman Gen Knud Bartels met Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

The two sides discussed the withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan and the post-2014 Pakistan-NATO relationship. The he security situation in Afghanistan, coordination measures also figured at the meetings.

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