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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Wednesday during his two-day maiden visit to India.
Blinken is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today. US Secretary of State arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss wide-ranging issues with Indian officials including vaccine cooperation, Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific region. Earlier today, Blinken participated in a meeting of representatives of civil society organisations in the national capital. "I was pleased to meet civil society leaders today. The US and India share a commitment to democratic values; this is part of the bedrock of our relationship and reflective of India's pluralistic society and history of harmony. Civil society helps advance these values," he tweeted. EAM Jaishankar and Blinken are slated to hold a joint press conference at 2.30 pm. Finally, the US Secretary of State will call on PM Modi. According to the State Department, Blinken will discuss a wide range of issues including Indo-Pacific engagement and shared regional security interests. He will also discuss ways to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan during talks with the Indian leadership. A state department official last week had said, "Our bilateral discussions with our Indian partners will focus on expanding our security, defense, cyber, and counterterrorism cooperation." India and the US will also discuss health collaboration to combat COVID-19, including the Quad vaccine partnership that was first announced during President Biden's Quad summit. Both sides will review the multifaceted India-US bilateral relations and the potential for consolidating them further. (ANI)
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