Obama and Karzai news conference at White House
US President Barack Obama and Afghan leader Hamid Karzai have discussed the possibility of keeping a US military force in Afghanistan beyond 2014.
In a joint statement after White House talks, the two leaders also said the US would give custody of Afghan prisoners to the Afghan government.
They also backed holding talks in Doha between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
They said "most" US combat operations would end by mid-2013.
As part of that transition of security duties to Afghan security forces, US troops would pull back from patrols in Afghan villages as the quality of the Afghan fighting force improves, said the joint statement.
"Starting this spring, our troops will have a different mission - training, advising, assisting Afghan forces," Mr Obama said at the White House after the meeting. "It will be an historic moment and another step toward full Afghan sovereignty."
Most of the 66,000 US troops in Afghanistan are due to leave in 2014.
US commanders have suggested leaving between 6,000 and 15,000 troops in Afghanistan to pursue insurgents and train Afghan security forces.
But White House officials have previously not excluded the possibility of withdrawing all troops.
Mr Karzai and Mr Obama committed to crafting a bilateral security agreement "as soon as possible" and "discussed the possibility of a post-2014 US presence that is sustainable, that supports a capable and effective Afghan National Security Force, and that continues to pressure the remnants of al-Qaeda and its affiliates".
Mr Obama reaffirmed that the US seeks no permanent bases in Afghanistan, the statement added.
"President Obama reaffirmed the United States' respect for Afghanistan's sovereignty and reiterated that as Afghanistan takes full responsibility for its security and development, the US continues to be committed to supporting the Afghan people," the presidents said.
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