WASHINGTON, DC—Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the Committee’s Ranking Member, issued this statement following a joint address to Congress from His Excellency Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan:

“We were pleased to welcome President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah to the U.S. Congress today. President Ghani’s address to a Joint Meeting of Congress is a powerful symbol of the strong and enduring bond between the United States and Afghanistan. Though serious challenges remain, we were pleased to hear the President’s ideas about the way forward in Afghanistan. President Ghani’s emphasis on Afghanistan’s future as a self-sufficient nation that brings greater stability to the region is a shared goal for us all. We look forward to supporting President Ghani’s vision for an Afghanistan that is peaceful, and where Afghans are able to live with dignity and prosperity. The sacrifice of Americans and Afghans over the past 14 years is too great for us to not achieve this goal.”

###