Jaishankar, Blinken discuss bilateral cooperation including Indo Pacific, Quad, Afghanistan, Myanmar, UNSC matters

Washington [US], May 29 (ANI): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday (local time) discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation including Indo Pacific, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), Afghanistan, Myanmar, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) matters. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as part of his five-day US visit, the first official trip since President Joe Biden took office in January. “Pleasure to meet @SecBlinken. A productive discussion on various aspects of our bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues. Covered Indo Pacific and the Quad, Afghanistan, Myanmar, UNSC matters and other international organizations,” Jaishankar tweeted.

Both the leaders also focused on Indo-US vaccine partnership aimed at expanding access and ensuring supply. “Also focused on Indo-US vaccine partnership aimed at expanding access and ensuring supply. Appreciated strong solidarity expressed by US at this time. Today’s talks have further solidified our strategic partnership and enlarged our agenda of cooperation,” Jaishankar tweeted.

Jaishankar, who has spent the past week in the United States seeking help to deal with India’s coronavirus crisis, told reporters while standing with Blinken at the State Department India was grateful to the US administration for strong support and solidarity. In the early days of COVID-19, India was there for the US, something we will never forget. Now we want to make sure that we are there for and with India, said US Secretary of State. “US and India are working together on so many of most important challenges of our time — one that are having profound impact on our citizens. We’re united in confronting COVID-19 together,” said Blinken.

“The United States and India have strengthened our cooperation in the region. Over the course of the past year, we have worked together to address a range of regional issues such as China, Burma and Afghanistan,” said Dean Thompson, the Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, US. He further said that both the countries have also shared their concerns over China’s problematic activities. “On China, we shared concerns about Southern China’s problematic activities in the region, and it becomes increasingly like-minded on these issues. On the coup in Burma, the US and India have called for an end to the violence, urged the release of political prisoners, and called for the restoration of democracy,” Thompson said in his briefing to reporters.

In a tweet after his meeting with Jaishankar, Blinken said: “Productive discussion today with @DrSJaishankar on regional security and economic priorities to include U.S. COVID-19 relief efforts, India-China border situation, and our support for Afghanistan. As friends, we will work together to address these areas of shared concern.”

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, who is on an official trip to the US on Friday (local time) also held meetings with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.Meanwhile, Thompson in his briefing to reporters on the meeting between Jaishankar and Blinken also said “On Afghanistan, we have ve long shared the view that a peaceful, stable Afghanistan is in our mutual interest, We need to continue working together and with the region to press for political settlement to end the conflict there.” The state department official said “We’re also pleased with the scope of our Quad cooperation, building on historic leader-level summit – the historic leader-level summit earlier this year.” “Today’s meeting between Secretary Blinken and Minister Jaishankar demonstrates our deep commitment to the partnership and to strengthening it in the years to come,” he said.