“Looking forward to my visit to New Delhi and Kuwait City. I look forward to consulting with our partners to advance cooperation in support of our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East,” he tweeted. This is Blinken’s first visit to India after taking over as US Secretary of State and the third by a high-ranking Biden administration official since coming to power in January.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited India in March, while US Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry visited New Delhi in April. Announcing the visit last week, the State Department said, “Secretary Blinken’s visit is an opportunity to continue the high-level bilateral dialogue and strengthen the India-US global strategic partnership.”
“The two sides will review the strong and multi-faceted India-US bilateral relationship and the prospects for further strengthening them,” the statement said. Dean Thompson, Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, said on Friday that discussions will focus on expanding ties in the areas of security, defence, cyber and counter-terrorism cooperation.
“We cooperate with the government on these issues, including regular US-India Working Group meetings, and we look forward to further strengthening our ties with India to ensure a safer and more secure world,” he said. We do.” People familiar with the agenda of the visit said the two sides would hold extensive discussions on the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan as the Taliban escalate their hostilities in an effort to take control of new areas in the country.
Afghanistan has seen several terror attacks in the past few weeks as the US withdrew most of its troops and seeks to complete the drawdown by August 31, ending nearly two decades of its military presence in the country. The two sides are also expected to explore ways to deepen defense cooperation, including exercises, defense transfers and technologies, ahead of the next edition of the 2+2 Defense and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue to be held in the US later this year. Huh. Vikas said.
The two sides will also discuss ways to enhance engagement in the Indo-Pacific region as well as ways to enhance COVID response efforts. Both sides are also expected to consider implementing the Quad Vaccine Initiative. The people mentioned above said that they are expected to look at opportunities in healthcare, education, digital domains besides focusing on ways to enhance trade and investment ties. In the talks, India will continue to push for ensuring an open and consistent supply chain for materials and commodities required for vaccine production, the people cited above said. Discussions are also expected to take place on boosting defense and strategic ties in the talks.
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