(VOVworld) - US President Barack Obama has urged Afghan leaders to move faster toward forming an "inclusive national unity government”.

President Barack Obama has a video conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the formation of an "inclusive national unity government”. (Photo: tolonews.com)

White House spokesperson Eric Schultz said Obama video-conferenced on Thursday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah.

Schultz said the leaders also discussed the ongoing efforts by Afghan security forces to improve security in Afghanistan and the importance of "countering extremist threats" posed by groups like al-Qaida.

Obama applauded the Afghan leaders' initiative in improving relations with Pakistan, a neighbor seen as vital to the reconciliation effort in Afghanistan.

After winning last year’s presidential election, Ghani pledged to set up an effective national unity government, do his best to revitalize Afghanistan’s economy, and improve the capacity of the national security force to fight Taliban militants. Ghani’s top priority is to improve relations with the US and its allies, which deteriorated during Hamid Karzai’s presidency.