New Delhi [India], January 20 (ANI): Amid rising tension between US and Russia over Ukraine and growing Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla held a teleconference with US Deputy State Secretary Wendy Sherman on Wednesday.

Both diplomats exchanged views on wide-ranging topics, including upcoming bilateral engagements and the COVID pandemic.

Also Read | Sarah Gill Becomes Pakistan’s First Transgender Doctor After Clearing MBBS Exam.

"FS @harshvshringla had a wide-ranging telecon today with US @DeputySecState Wendy Sherman. Inter alia reviewed upcoming bilateral engagements and the COVID pandemic, including supply of vaccines, and exchanged views on Indo-Pacific, Middle East, UNSC, India's neighbourhood, etc," tweeted Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs.

They also held discussions on Russia's military build-up on Ukraine's borders.

Also Read | Face Masks No Longer Mandatory in England, COVID-19 Plan B Restrictions to End as Omicron Peak Hits Britain.

"They discussed a broad range of issues including Russia's concerning military build-up on Ukraine's borders and regional issues," read State Department Spokesman Ned Price's statement.

"Deputy Secretary Sherman and Foreign Secretary Shringla agreed to remain closely coordinated on shared goals and priorities and reiterated the importance of a strong US-India partnership to mitigate the COVID-19 Omicron variant's rapid advance," added the statement. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)