WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) — President Obama spoke with UK Prime Minister Brown on Friday as part of their regular phone consultations, the White House said on Saturday.

Obama and Brown commended the “outstanding performance” of U.S. and British troops in Afghanistan during a difficult phase of operations. The leaders agreed on the importance of increasing civilian assistance to complement military efforts, a statement said.

Brown and Obama also agreed to have their National Security teams continue to coordinate closely in the period ahead and they look forward to future consultations on a range of key issues. They re-affirmed their commitment to ensure security for the upcoming Afghan elections and beyond to “allow Afghans to make progress on governance, rule of law, policing, and economic development.”