India: The US Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken, has arrived in India to bolster the US-India strategic partnership.
Mr. Blinken will co-chair the 5th India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The US Secretary of State’s previous visit was to South Korea. Mr. Blinken also attended the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Japan during this marathon trip.
The ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict might be a topic of discussion during this visit. India’s Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, has declared the nation’s solidarity with Israel.
India also condemned Hamas and shared its interest in an independent Palestinian state. Last month, India airlifted aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, the Ukraine-Russia war will be on the agenda. Earlier on November 9, 2023, US Secretary of Defence Mr. Lloyd Austin also arrived in New Delhi for the two-day visit to attend the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
The two US officials will meet India’s foreign minister, Mr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and defence minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh, for the dialogue. This meeting is expected to discuss Indo-Pacific concerns, developments, and other global tensions.
India and US relations have dimmed after Canada Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudea accused India’s involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Mr. Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India dismissed the accusation. But the US has supported Canada, saying India should cooperate in the investigation.
The dialogue comes ahead of Biden’s expected meeting with Chinese President, Mr. Xi Jinping, next week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco, as per the statement.
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