United States Watching Situation In Jammu And Kashmir Closely, Calls For Calm And Restraint

The United States is watching the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and continues to be "very concerned by reports of detentions and the continued restrictions on the residents of the region", a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday. 

"We urge respect for human rights, compliance with legal procedures, and an inclusive dialogue with those affected," he said, adding, "We welcome Prime Minister Modi's statement that Jammu and Kashmir will soon return to a normal political status".

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday said that he has discussed with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh the future steps needed to be taken by the two strategic partners to work more closely. 

Esper, who took office last month, had his first conversation with Singh over telephone on August 20.

"We had a very warm conversation. We talked about our mutual strategic interest and discussed some next steps by which we can work together more closely," Esper told reporters at the Pentagon.

However, he did not divulge any further details of their telephonic conversation.

Earlier, a spokesperson of the Defence Ministry in New Delhi had said that Esper appreciated the central government's position that the recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir are an internal matter of India and he hoped that any issue between India and Pakistan would be resolved bilaterally.