US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks yesterday in New Delhi seeking to bolster India as a regional counterweight to China and win backing for its position on Israel’s war with Hamas.
Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin joined Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh for annual “two-plus-two” talks, which India said would focus on “defense and security cooperation.”
“In the face of urgent global challenges, it’s more important than ever that the world’s two largest democracies exchange views, find common goals, and deliver for our people,” Austin said during opening remarks.
Photo: AFP
“We’ve made impressive gains in building our major defense partnership over the past year and that will help us contribute even more together to the cause of peace and stability,” Austin added, saying their cooperation “stretches from the sea to space.”
India is part of the Quad alliance alongside the US, Australia and Japan, a grouping that positions itself as a bulwark against China’s growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are promoting a free and open, prosperous, secure and resilient Indo-Pacific,” Blinken said, highlighting the sharing of maritime satellite data that helped to “combat illegal fishing, piracy, and drug trafficking.”
His counterpart Jaishankar spoke of “developing our strategic partnership” and praised a “new chapter in our relationship” following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in June and US President Joe Biden’s trip to Delhi for G20 talks in September.
Washington also hopes a tighter defense relationship would help wean India off Russia, Delhi’s primary military supplier.
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