London, Sep 20: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that American military chiefs are in close contact with the new Pakistani leadership and are on the ‘most productive path’ in dealing with al Qaeda, the Taliban and other insurgents in co-operation with the country.

Gates was in London for the NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting in which the United States is seeking 20 billion dollars from its allies to help stabilise Afghanistan by sending more troops to confront the growing insurgency.

Gates told reporters this week that a fundamental reconsideration of Afghanistan strategy will be under way during the final months of the Bush Administration.

“We are looking at it, and I guess that is as far as I would go,” he said.

“You have an overall approach, an overall strategy, but you adjust it continually based on the circumstances that you find,” he added.

In addition to a more aggressive fighting against insurgents on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Pentagon officials had said that the US is seeking to get more direct command responsibility in southern Afghanistan, where NATO is presently operating and there is heavy fighting as well. (ANI)