Jaishankar, Blinken meet; Indo-Pacific, Afghanistan, terrorism on talks table
New Delhi : Peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, deepening the Quad, the Afghan issue and terrorism will be on the table of talks as well as tackling the coronavirus pandemic, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday in opening remarks during his meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here.
“I am confident our discussions will be productive. Our bilateral cooperation has expanded, and cover all areas of relevance, our shared concerns are similar. Our talks will take these to practical outcomes. Peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific is important as democratic stability in Afghanistan. Deepening the Quad as a collaborative platform is in our mutual interest and we must work together even more closely on key contemporary challenges like terrorism,” Jaishankar said in opening remarks while welcoming Blinken for the talks.
“Our conversations on global issues would surely be richer from real exchanges of national experiences and historical perspectives,” he said.
He said the two countries must work together even more closely to tackle the Covid pandemic.
Blinken, in his remarks, said that the US deeply appreciates the work the two sides have been able to put together and the work they will do together.
He said there is a “greater imperative than ever” on bilateral cooperation and that both countries share basic interests and basic values.
“There isn’t a challenge that doesn’t have an impact on the lives of our citizens whether it’s Covid, the disruptive impact of emerging technologies, that can be addressed by any one of us acting alone. There’s a greater imperative on cooperation among countries than ever before,” Blinken said.
He said the Biden administration is committed to making the bilateral strategic ties “stronger and deeper
“A broad-based, multi-sectoral, global comprehensive strategic partnership. EAM @DrSJaishankar welcomes US Secretary of State @SecBlinken,” the MEA spokesperson Arindam Baghchi tweeted.
Earlier, Blinken met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening. The US top diplomat arrived on Tuesday evening on a two-day visit.
UNI
