Afghan president leaves for U.S. trip.

KABUL, June 24 — Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, leading a high-level delegation, left for the United States on Wednesday night, the Afghan Presidential Palace confirmed on Thursday.
During his stay in the United States, Ghani will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden, members of the U.S. Congress as well as other influential personalities, the palace said in a statement.
The president will discuss with the U.S. side about the new chapter in relations between the two countries, strengthening of diplomatic relations and support of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), the statement added.
The two sides will also discuss cooperation of the United States in Afghanistan’s economic and development sectors and the joint fight against terrorism, according to the statement.
The president is accompanied by Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, Chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar and Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib, among others, the statement noted.
The trip came as violence lingers in war-torn Afghanistan as the U.S. and NATO troops have been leaving the country.
About 3,500 U.S. forces and 7,000 NATO troops will be withdrawn before Sept. 11, the day which is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into war in Afghanistan. Xinhua