New Delhi
The US secretary of state Antony Blinken is to begin his two-day India visit today.
The tussle between Taliban and their Government in Afghanistan, Covid-19 response in India and other important facts will be key issues on the agenda.
The Indian side has also indicated that it is prepared to engage with the US on issues such as human rights and democracy, which American officials have said Blinken intends to raise during his maiden visit to New Delhi after assuming office earlier this year.
Blinken will be the third high-ranking official of the Biden administration to travel to India after defence secretary Lloyd Austin in March and special envoy for climate change John Kerry in April.
He is to meet external affairs minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday before travelling back to Kuwait on the next leg of his tour.
The security situation in Afghanistan will be a key issue during Blinken’s visit as the Indian side believes US support for Afghan forces over the next few months will be crucial for retaining the gains made under the democratic system in Kabul over the past 20 years.
The Indian side, on the other hand, is expected to raise the implications of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and the need for sustained pressure on Pakistan over terror financing and terrorist sanctuaries.
A coordinated Covid-19 response, including open and consistent supply chains for materials and items required for producing vaccines, will figure in the discussions in line with India’s plans to augment production for both domestic vaccination and subsequent global supplies, as cited by the sources.
Blinken’s visit is an opportunity to “continue the high-level bilateral dialogue and bolster the India-US global strategic partnership”, the external affairs ministry said last week while announcing the visit. “Both sides will review the robust and multifaceted India-US bilateral relations, and potential for consolidating them further,” it added.
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