Jaishankar, Blinken hold strategic talks in Washington; discuss global challenges
Washington/ New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a series of high-level meetings in Washington DC, engaging with key US officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation and addressing global challenges.
In his first visit to the US capital since the formation of the third Modi government, Jaishankar met with Blinken at the State Department’s Foggy Bottom headquarters on Tuesday.
“Delighted to hold talks with @SecBlinken today in Washington DC. We followed up on the Delaware bilateral and Quad meetings. Our discussions also covered deepening bilateral cooperation, situation in West Asia, recent developments in the Indian subcontinent, the Indo-Pacific and Ukraine,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.
The meeting followed recent high-level engagements between the two nations, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s significant bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden at his Delaware residence on September 21, which was followed by the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington.
During the meeting, Blinken highlighted the unprecedented level of ambition in US-India relations, highlighting collaborative efforts in strategic technology sectors, space, semiconductors, and clean energy initiatives. He noted that these partnerships are creating opportunities
not only for both nations but also globally.
“The warmth of Biden and Modi’s recent meeting and the ambition in the relationship were at a level never seen before,” Blinken stated, underlining India’s crucial role in global peace, stability, and security efforts.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reported that the discussions also touched upon
expanding collaboration on critical and emerging technologies. Blinken specifically acknowledged Prime Minister Modi’s August visit to Kyiv and reiterated the importance of achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The diplomatic engagement extended beyond the State Department, as Jaishankar also held productive talks with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Phil Gordon, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President.
These meetings focused on bilateral cooperation and various global developments.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gordon highlighted the significance of the discussions, stating: “We took stock of important progress in the US-India relationship, including our growing defence and technology cooperation.
We also discussed regional security issues in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.”
The meetings underscore the growing strategic partnership between India and the United States, particularly in areas of mutual interest such as technology, defence cooperation, and regional security.
The discussions also reflected the shared commitment to addressing global challenges and promoting stability across various regions. with agency inputs
