New Delhi: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said he deeply appreciates the work that India and the US have been able to do together and the work that the two countries to do in the coming months. India's External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said peace and prosperity in Indo-Pacific is as important for both the countries as is the democratic stability in Afghanistan. He said deepening Quad as a collaborative platform is in the mutual interest and that the two countries must work together even more closely on key contemporary challenges such as terrorism.
Seeking India's co-operation on a wide range of issues, Blinken, during his maiden visit to India as the US Secretary of State, said, There isn't a challenge that doesn't have impact on lives of our citizens whether it's COVID or the disruptive impact of emerging technologies that can be addressed by any one of us acting alone. There's greater imperative on cooperation among countries than ever before." He said Biden's determination is to continue to grow stronger the relationship between India and the US. Jaishankar said his conversation with Blinken on global issues would surely be richer from real exchanges of national experiences and historical perspectives.
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.
Also read: Blinken to meet PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar today on his maiden India visit
EAM Jaishankar and Blinken are slated to hold a joint press conference at 2.30 pm. Blinken is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today. 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. 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.
With agency inputs
