Delhi: US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Friday met External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar for the 5th India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue which was held today. The Indian side at the dialogue was led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and S Jaishankar.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, "...This visit (of Secretary Blinken) has a particular significance because we need to follow up on PM Modi's June visit and President Biden's September visit. This is a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, so we take a broader view of what we are doing. As QUAD members, we will discuss the Indo-Pacific and finally, we will look at the global regional issues and what is happening in West-Asia and Middle-East as it is a big concern right now. I look forward to discussing it and other issues with you."
What Blinken said
Blinken said, "...When President Biden hosted PM Modi at the White House in June, both of our leaders set out a very ambitious agenda to build an even stronger and even more comprehensive strategic partnership that delivers for our people as well as for the region and we believe, for the world and together we have been taking very concrete steps to deliver on the vision that our two leaders put forward."
"We are promoting a free and open, prosperous, secure and resilient Indo-Pacific, including by strengthening our partnership through the QUAD with Japan and Australia. One significant way we're doing that is by enhancing maritime domain awareness, sharing commercial satellite data with countries in the region to boost their capacity, for example, to combat illegal phishing, piracy, and drug trafficking. We're also coordinating humanitarian relief and disaster response efforts in the Indo-Pacific..."
"We're harnessing together the power of innovation to make our economies more resilient and to make our communities more secure while expanding inclusive economic opportunity. That's evident in the cooperation on semiconductors and advanced biotechnology, on our unprecedented investments in deploying clean energy at scale in our countries as well as across the region, and our joint research and exploration projects in space...''
"Finally, we're deepening the remarkable ties between our people, which is really at the heart of everything. Exploring new educational exchanges, even building steps to facilitate travel between our countries, reducing VISA wait times...When Indians and Americans study together, work together, and collaborate together, the possibilities for progress are infinite..."
What Jaishankar said
"The highlight this year was the PM's state visit to the United States in June, it has opened a new chapter in our relationship. President Biden's visit to Delhi in September contributed immensely to the positive trajectory of our ties. His support was key to ensuring productive outcomes at the G20 summit. The dialogue today will be an opportunity to advance the vision of our respective leaders."
"Building a forward-looking partnership while we construct a shared global agenda. In the 2+2, we will undertake a comprehensive overview of cross-cutting strategic, defence, and security ties, technology and supply chain collaborations and people-to-people exchanges... Our trade is today in excess of USD 200 Billion... 2,70,000 Indian students study in the United States, and we have a diaspora of 4.4 million. A key focus of our discussions today will be the Indo-Pacific region... "
