Jaishankar, Blinken discuss Quad, Afghanistan, Covid: Key points

NEW DELHI: US secretary of state Antony Blinken met foreign minister S Jaishankar and national security advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Wednesday.


As was expected, cooperation in battling the Covid pandemic, the situation in Afghanistan, matters related to

Indo-Pacific

and Quad were the major topics Blinken discussed with the Indian leadership.

Shortly after Blinken's meeting with external affairs minister Jaishankar at New Delhi's Hyderabad House, the two jointly addressed the media and took questions.

Here are the key points from Blinken's India visit and his dialogues with NSA Doval and Jaishankar:-

* Blinken met NSA Doval at South Block, shortly after 10am. Sources said both sides discussed strategic issues of importance in security, defence, economic and technology-related sectors.

* Blinken said strengthening its partnership with India is one of the US's top foreign policy priorities. Blinken said there are few relationships in the world that are more vital than the one between the US and India.

* On being asked if he addressed US concerns on human rights issues in India, Blinken said "We talk about in our founding document, search for a more perfect union that means we're not perfect. No democracy regardless of how large or old has it all figured out."

* The situation in Afghanistan as well as the Indo-Pacific engagement figured in the nearly one hour talks.

* Cooperation in battling the Covid pandemic figured prominently in Blinken's talks with foreign minister Jaishankar.

* Blinken also announced a $25 million assistance to support Covid-19 vaccination efforts across India.

* "We remember with gratitude and will not forget the aid and assistance India provided to us early in the pandemic. I am proud we could return the gesture to India," Blinken said.

* Jaishankar said means of expanding vaccine production to make it globally affordable and accessible were discussed

* On Afghanistan, Blinken said US will remain "engaged" in the country, even after troops withdrawal.

* Blinken said the US is concerned about the Taliban advance in Afghanistan . "The Taliban is making advances in district centres, 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.

* World wishes to see an independent, sovereign, democratic and stable Afghanistan, Jaishankar said, adding that a solution needs to be worked out through dialogues, and not on the battlefield.

* Unilateral imposition of will can never lead to stability in Afghanistan, he said.

* On the Quad, Blinken said that it is not a military alliance. Its purpose is to advance cooperation on regional challenges.

* Blinken defined the Quad as "four like-minded countries coming together to work on some of the most important issues of time that are going to have real impact on the lives of the people and do in a way that ensures a free and open Indo-Pacific."



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