His Excellency Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (wikipedia)

By Gary Raynaldo   DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin on Friday spoke with  Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to an enduring U.S.-Afghan partnership, emphasizing the strength of the defense relationship, the DOD said.  The Secretary and President Ghani discussed the shared sacrifices of U.S. and Afghanistan forces and collective gains made over the last 19 years, according to  a DOD statement.  President Ghani and Secretary Austin discussed the Afghan peace process and the imperative for a negotiated settlement to end the war.  Both sides emphasized the importance of seizing this opportunity for peace.  Secretary of Defense  Austin has a lot on his plate including  the task of fully winding down the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

There are now 2,500 U.S. service members in Afghanistan and 2,500 in Iraq

according to the DOD. This is  the lowest number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan since operations started there in 2001. The troop reductions were stepped up in the Trump administration.  Secretary of Defense Austin has said  the reduction of American force strength does not mean a change in U.S. policy in the country or region.