Defence Minister Rajnath Singh discusses situation in Afghanistan with US counterpart

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin held a telephonic conversation on Monday. The two discussed the situation in Afghanistan among other key issues ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US for the first Quad leaders' summit.

"Both the leaders [Rajnath Singh and Lloyd Austin] discussed bilateral and regional matters including developments in Afghanistan," the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement. Both countries even reiterated their commitment to working closely together in the defence sector.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin also exchanged views about combating terrorism in the region.