Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by phone on Wednesday, Ghani's office said.

Afghan Voice Agency(AVA), In the conversation, the sides discussed different issues including peace process, refugees reforms joint cooperation, it said in a statement.

German leader reassured her country’s cooperation with Afghanistan and its people, adding Germany would announce support to Afghanistan in the upcoming Brussels conference.

Last year, Afghans were the second biggest group of asylum seekers in Germany, but the country has begun carrying out group deportations of Afghans following a deal with Kabul.

The phone exchange comes as NATO is considering troop surge in Afghanistan amid stalemate with the Taliban.

Earlier this month, Germany’s Merkel following a meeting with NATO chief said that she does not believe Germany is “first in line” to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Germany has 980 soldiers in Afghanistan, mainly based in north.