EAM, Blinken discuss need to ensure freedom of navigation in Red Sea

MUNICH: Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Germany discussed the need to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, highlighting how the US and India play important roles in safeguarding economic stability in the volatile region.

The two leaders met on Friday on the sidelines of the prestigious Munich Security Conference in the German city.

“Blinken and Jaishankar discussed the need to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a readout of the meeting. Blinken highlighted that the respective US and Indian approaches to maritime security in the Red Sea are mutually reinforcing and play important roles in safeguarding economic stability in the region, he said.

They also discussed ongoing work to ensure lasting peace and security in the Middle East, Miller said.

Since November, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted ships in the Red Sea to demand a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas.

The bilateral meeting took place weeks after the US agreed to supply 31 armed MQ-9B Predator drones to India and two months after the unease between the two sides over an alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil. India has already constituted a high-level probe committee to investigate US allegations.

Jaishankar said it’s important today that the very complicated issues be addressed effectively and “the conflict does not escalate.”

Jaishankar on Saturday met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here and appreciated her guidance in taking the ‘India-Bangladesh Maitri’ forward.

This is Jaishankar’s first meeting with Hasina after she returned to a record fifth term in January. The two leaders were meeting on the sidelines of the prestigious Munich Security Conference, in its 60th edition, which is the world’s leading forum for debate on international security.

S Jaishankar has said that he discussed the “present state” of bilateral ties and the current global issues with his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly, amidst a diplomatic row between the two countries over the killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

The two leaders met on Friday on the sidelines of the prestigious Munich Security Conference here in Germany.

The meeting comes amid bitterness in bilateral ties over the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil last year.

He also met Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. India hosts the WHOSEAR, the top health body’s South East Asia Region’s headquarters.