US President Donald Trump calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss Maldives, Afghanistan

US President Donald Trump spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone, the White House said in a statement on Friday. The two leaders discussed a number of global issues and pledged to continue working together to enhance security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the official statement said.

President Trump and Prime Minister Modi also spoke about the ongoing crisis in Maldives, and expressed concern over the political turmoil that the island nation has gotten embroiled in. The Indian Prime Minister and the US President reiterated the importance of respect for democratic institutions and rule of law, the statement added.

Concerned over the political crisis in Maldives, India, which is monitoring the situation very "closely", had earlier said it was "disturbed" on the declaration of the emergency by the Maldivian government and described as a matter of "concern" the arrests of the chief justice and political figures there.

The picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago, which has seen a number of political crisis since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed in 2012, plunged into a political crisis on Thursday last when the Supreme Court ordered the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed". The nine political leaders included Nasheed.

Meanwhile, the White House said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump also restated their commitment to supporting Afghanistan's security and stability, a move that reaffirms President Trump's South Asia strategy. This call came amid the US'recent crackdown on Pakistan over its failed efforts to curb terrorism emanating from its soil.

The two leaders also discussed further steps to ensure denuclearization of North Korea. "The leaders agreed to strengthen security and economic cooperation as they look forward to the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between their defense and diplomatic officials in April," the White House said in its statement.