NEWS DESK / NEW DELHI
The visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today said that his country welcomed India’s emergence as a leading global power.
In tweet after a fruitful discussion with India’s External affair minister S. Jaishankar , Blunken tweeted: “Thanks to @DrSJaishankar for a collaborative discussion today on many areas of cooperation, including efforts to support peace and stability in Afghanistan. India is one of our most valued partners, and the U.S. welcomes India’s emergence as a leading global power.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on a range of bilateral and regional issues with a focus on taking the relationship to the “next level”.
The wide-ranging talks covered the situation in Afghanistan, Indo-Pacific engagements, Covid-19 response mechanism and ways to strengthen regional security . At a joint media briefing, Blinken said “there are few relationships in the world that are more vital than the one between the US and India.”
Blinken said that as the world’s leading democracies, “we take seriously our responsibilities” towards freedom, equality and opportunity to all of “our people”. He said actions by India and the US shape the 21st century and beyond, and that is why strengthening partnership with India is one of the top foreign policy priorities of the US.