The visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today said there were few relationships in the world that were more vital than the one between the US and India.
Terming the strengthening of partnership with India as one of the US’s top foreign policy priorities, Blinken also announced $25 million assistance to support vaccination efforts across India and recalled with “gratitude” the aid and assistance India provided to the US early in the pandemic.
His discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar touched on regional concerns, multilateral institutions and global issues. Among the many issues the two looked at, Afghanistan, the Indo-Pacific and the Gulf were the most prominent. “It is essential that peace negotiations are taken seriously by all parties. Unilateral imposition of will by any party will never lead to stability nor indeed can such efforts ever acquire legitimacy,” noted Jaishankar.
On Afghanistan, Blinken told his Indian interlocutors that the US would remain engaged in the country even after the troop withdrawal as it was concerned about the Taliban advances. “There are reports of them committing atrocities in Afghanistan. It’s deeply troubling. It certainly doesn’t speak well about their intention for the country,” he said.