New Delhi, April 17 -- French President Emmanuel Macron dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, ahead of a conference to be hosted by Britain and France on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and discussed the situation in West Asia. Modi said on social media that he received a phone call from Macron and they had "agreed on the need to urgently restore safety and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz". "We will continue our close cooperation to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond," he added without giving details. There was no official readout from the Indian side on the conversation, which came two days after US President Donald Trump called Modi to discuss the West Asia crisis. Macron had spoken with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and Trump on Monday and urged the resumption of negotiations to clear up misunderstandings and to avoid further escalation. On the same day, Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced their countries will host a virtual conference in Paris on April 17 to discuss the restoration of freedom of navigation in the crucial waterway. Iran closed the strait soon after military strikes by Israel and the US triggered the West Asia conflict on February 28. Trump ordered a blockade of Iranian ports....