US President Donald Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi have confirmed that they are committed to deepening the Quad partnership that includes Japan and Australia.
The White House said on Monday that the two leaders spoke by phone about expanding and deepening bilateral cooperation.
It said that Trump and Modi also discussed a range of regional issues, such as security in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe.
The White House noted that the two stressed that they are committed to deepening the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership. India will host the Quad leaders later this year.
Former US President Joe Biden was mindful of China's increasingly hegemonic actions, and he placed importance on the Quad framework.
The telephone conversation with Modi apparently reflects the Trump administration's intention to continue to strengthen cooperation under the four-nation framework.
The White House said Trump also stressed that it is important for India to increase its procurement of American-made security equipment and to move "toward a fair bilateral trading relationship."