The telephone conversation also followed Karzai's assertion in a newspaper interview last week that his government was involved in talks with the Taliban, both with and without the United States.
"They discussed regional support for Afghan-led reconciliation, the Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran trilateral meetings last week in Islamabad, and other strategic issues of mutual concern," the White House said in a statement.
"They agreed to speak again soon to remain closely aligned as both countries continue our efforts to achieve common goals, and work to forge a long-term partnership," it said.
Karzai went to Islamabad on Friday and met with Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as part of an effort to get regional support for a negotiated solution to the 10-year-old war in Afghanistan.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad are traditionally mired in distrust, but both sides have made overtures towards reconciliation to facilitate talks with the Taliban, over which Pakistan is considered to have influence.
Ahmadinejad, for his part, used his presence in Islamabad to blame all of the region's problems on foreign interference but said he was there to solidify cooperation with Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Karzai, meanwhile, told the Wall Street Journal in an interview that his government was involved in secret three-way contacts with the US and the Taliban -- a claim the insurgent militia denied but the White House confirmed.
With US combat forces due to be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, the pressure is growing for diplomacy aimed at bringing the parties to the conflict together to work out a negotiated solution.
Washington has said it is open to a dialogue subject to certain conditions, namely that Taliban members who want to take part must lay down their arms, renounce Al-Qaeda and pledge allegiance to the Afghan constitution.
The Taliban said last month that they planned to set up a political office in Qatar ahead of possible formal talks with the United States, and Afghan and US officials have said that exploratory contacts are already under way.
COMMENTS (8)
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Karzai speaking to Obama must only mean he bitterly complained and complained and added some more fantastical lies to the conversation, Karzai is a bitter enemy of Pakistan and is 100% pro India.
During the G20 summit in Nov 2011 French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu a "liar" in remarks to US President Barack Obama, who grumbled that he has to deal with Netanyahu everyday. What does Obama think of the Afghan president Hamid Karzai?
The most wanted and discussed topic must be Pak-Iran plans for sure ;)
He should not be invited to PAK
Servant updating his master about his day-day activities. Typical servant master relationship. Karzai does not represent afghans. The Pastun afghans are proud worriers who would never serve as somebody else's slave.
Yeh!
Every human being would be raised on the day of Qayamat with their respective (Worldy) Gods. Quran
Hamid Karzai is always your obedient servant Mr. Obama.
Any move for peace by the Afghan will have Pakistani support. Taliban are a menace, not just for Pakistan or Afghanistan, but for the whole humanity; and they should be brought under control.