Jaishankar meets Blinken, affirms strong US ties

NEW YORK: Amid the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging India and the rising global tensions, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has capped two days of whirlwind diplomacy in Washington by meeting Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin as they sought to deepen the ties between their countries.

His meetings on Friday with the two cabinet officials and earlier with national security officials and Congressional leaders signalled the high priority the two countries gave to strategic cooperation.

With those leaders and business groups, Jaishankar also discussed the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic and the joint efforts to fight it.

In a tweet after meeting Jaishankar, Blinken tweeted that they discussed the "India-China border situation", although Jaishankar and State Department Spokesperson Ned Price made no mention of that topic. India has faced border incursions by China and a clash with fatalities over the last two years, during which Washington backed New Delhi.

"As friends, we will work together to address these areas of shared concern," Blinken added mentioning also regional security and economic priorities, US Covid-19 relief efforts, and support for Afghanistan, from where the US is scheduled to pull out its troops after a 20-year deployment.

Jaishankar tweeted after their discussions with Blinken, "Today's talks have further solidified our strategic partnership and enlarged our agenda of cooperation."

With Lloyd he had "a comprehensive conversation about further developing our strategic and defence partnership (and) Exchanged views on contemporary security challenges," Jaishankar tweeted.

US spokespersons said after the separate meetings on Friday that the leaders pledged to continue to deepen ties between the two countries.

State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that Blinken "reaffirmed the Administration's commitment to deepening the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership".

He added that "a shared commitment to combating the climate crisis and enhancing multilateral cooperation" was another topic in their talks.

Jaishankar tweeted that they had "also focused on Indo-US vaccine partnership aimed at expanding access and ensuring supply." He added, "Appreciated strong solidarity expressed by US at this time."

He said that the Indo-Pacific and the Quad — made up of the two countries and Japan and Australia — and Afghanistan, Myanmar, the United Nations Security Council, where India is currently an elected member, and other international organisations were discussed.

And Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby said that Austin and Jaishankar pledged to continue "strengthening the US-India Major Defense Partnership. They also discussed opportunities to deepen coordination amid the resurgence of Covid-19 cases."

Kirby said that they discussed "shared priorities in the US-India strategic partnership and exchange views on a range of regional security challenges".

Austin said he "looks forward to hosting Minister Jaishankar and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue later this year" that the US is scheduled to host, Kirby added.

In his tweet, Jaishankar said that he "expressed appreciation of the US military role in responding to the Covid situation" in India.

The US Air Force flew in supplies of oxygen, equipment to make the gas, personal protection gear and other material to help India face the deadly second wave pandemic. IANS

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