KABUL, Afghanistan — Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today that the United States will stick with Afghanistan for years to come.

“America is and will remain committed to a sovereign and secure Afghanistan,” Carter said in a joint appearance with President Ashraf Ghani during his final visit to the country as head of the Pentagon.

It is Carter’s last planned trip to Afghanistan before handing off his Defense Department responsibilities to his designated successor, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis.

The U.S. has about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan to train and advise Afghan security forces combatting a resilient Taliban insurgency. U.S. special operations forces are hunting down al-Qaida and Islamic State militants.

Carter’s visit comes amid concerns that despite improvements in Afghan government defenses, Taliban forces are gaining leverage and are continuing to use neighboring Pakistan as a sanctuary. By U.S. estimates, the Afghan government controls slightly less than two-thirds of the country’s population.