New Delhi: After his address at the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar will head to Washington DC on Wednesday.
In the second leg of his US tour, Dr. Jaishankar will visit Washington D.C. from 27 to 30 September for bilateral meetings with US interlocutors. His itinerary includes discussions with US State Secretary Antony Blinken, senior members of the US Administration, US business leaders, and think tanks. He will also address the 4th World Culture Festival being organised by the Art of Living.
Also read: Blinken says India is 'closest partner' as both discuss mutual issues
The visit to the US comes amid the diplomatic row between India and Canada and amid reports suggesting the Five Eyes group's role in intelligence related to the killing of Nijjar and the FBI's warning to US Sikh leaders of credible threats.
Earlier today, over the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, external affairs minister S Jaishankar raised concerns over "organised crime linked to secessionist groups, violence, and extremism" in Canada. He also asserted that these issues have been allowed to persist due to political considerations in Canada.
During a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Jaishankar said, "Over the past few years, Canada has witnessed a significant rise in organized crime associated with secessionist movements, along with instances of violence and extremism. These issues are intricately intertwined. We have been engaged in discussions concerning specific incidents and information related to these concerns."
Meanwhile, reacting to the diplomatic spat between India and Canada, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, during a press briefing said, "We are obviously, quite concerned about the situation in Canada. We have cooperated, closely with our Canadian counterparts. We have urged India to cooperate in that investigation, and we will continue to do so".
"India remains, an important partner of the United States. We work with them on several issues, but of course, we, on this matter, urge them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation", he added. EAM Jaishankar is also likely to discuss the Canada matter during his meeting with US State Secretary Antony Blinken.
