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BIG STORY JULY 30, 2021 | The Indian Eye 4

Secretary blinken in delhi

MIXeD Messages

On his first visit to india, US Secretary of State anthony blinken promises to deepen
strategic engagement with india, especially with an eye on china. but he also delivers a

message on human rights by meeting civil society groups

Our Bureau during the meeting.
The US delegation led by
New Delhi Secretary of State Antony
U S Secretary of State Blinken was candid on all is-

Blinken,
sues during his interaction with
Antony
during his India vis-
including COVID vaccines,
it on Wednesday, expressed External Affairs S Jaishankar
Biden administration’s intent China, Afghanistan, Indo-Pa-
to grow stronger bilateral ties cific and global issues, sources
with New Delhi and stressed said.
on the importance of cooper- The Indian External Affairs
ation on various issues includ- Minister S Jaishankar said In-
ing COVID-19 and climate dia was open to having a con-
change. “We have seen over the versation on democracy and
last couple of decades that the human rights as India’s record
relationship has grown stron- is stellar on both counts. There
ger and deeper across mul- was no discord or upbraiding
tiple administrations in both done by the US side with re-
countries. President Biden’s gard to India’s commitment to
determination is to continue to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony democracy and human rights,
grow stronger the relationship Blinken address a joint press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI) sources said. Blinken’s first
between India and the US,” meeting was with Indian civil
Blinken said in his opening world. He added, “Peace and In a tweet, PM Modi said, society members. Referring to
remarks ahead of his meeting prosperity in the Indo-Pacific “Good to meet US Secre- questions about democracy,
with External Affairs Minister are as important for both of tary of State @SecBlinken civil society and comments at
S Jaishankar. us as democratic stability in today. I welcome President the joint press conference, the
Jaishankar, meanwhile, Afghanistan. Deepening the Biden’s strong commitment sources added there was no
expressed confidence that Quad as a qualitative platform to strengthen the India-US “lecturing” by the US side.
Blinken’s visit will be produc- is in our mutual interest and we Strategic Partnership, which is Blinken, in his remarks at
tive and the quality of the dis- must work together even more anchored in our shared demo- the joint media interaction,
cussions will fully reflect the closely on key contemporary cratic values and is a force for said every democracy includ-
strength of bilateral relations. challenges like terrorism, cli- global good.” ing the US was “a work in
“Our bilateral cooperation has mate change, pandemics and Addressing the joint con- progress” and the quest of two
vastly expanded in the last few resilient supply chains.” ference with his Indian coun- counties is to “get closer to the
years. Our interests are shared, terpart S Jaishankar, the US ideals we set for ourselves” and
our concerns are similar and Prime Minister naren- top diplomat said that there while the challenge at times is
our convergences are strong. are very few relationships in painful and ugly “as democ-
Talks today will provide an dra Modi on Wednes- the world that are more vital racies India and the US do it
updated direction to our col- day met antony blinken than the one between India openly”.
leagues to translate these into and welcomed President and the US. Blinken asserted He said the “shared values
practical outcomes,” Jaishan- that US President Joe Biden strengthen the US and India
kar added. Joe biden’s strong com- feels a “deep personal commit- relationship”. “Like our own,
The minister added that mitment to strength- ment” to making India-US ties India’s democracy is powered
responding to the COVID-19 as strong and as effective as it by its free-thinking citizens.
pandemic has added new fac- ening the india-US can be. Jaishankar and Blinken We applaud that. We view In-
ets to India-US cooperation, Strategic Partnership. also discussed regional securi- dian democracy as a force for
in an increasingly multipolar ty issues including Afghanistan Continued on next page... >>

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