Tokyo: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Japan's national capital where both discussed a wide range of issues including regional and global. The meeting was also attended by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu, who criticised PM Narendra Modi for his recent Russia visit. Jaishankar arrived in Japan on Sunday from Laos for a two-day visit for the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting. He was received by India's Ambassador to Japan, Sibi George.
In a social media post, he shared smiling photographs with top US officials and a message: "Great to catch up with @SecBlinken in Tokyo today. Our bilateral agenda progresses steadily. Also had a wide-ranging discussion on regional and global issues." "Look forward to attending the Quad FMM tomorrow," he added.
In November 2017, India, Japan, the US, and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence. The South China Sea lies at the junction between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, while The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the maritime area.US 'disappointment' over PM Modi's Russia visit
Notably, the meeting came amid US criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Moscow visit where he met his Russian "friend" President Vladimir Putin. The meeting turned into business momentum when Putin presented his Indian Excellency a red carpet welcome, but the gesture was not taken lightly by the West. At a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, Lu told American lawmakers, said, "I could not agree with you more about our disappointment about the symbolism and the timing of Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Moscow. We are having those tough conversations with our Indian friends."
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "India has a long-standing relationship with Russia, that is based on mutuality of interests. In a multi-polar world, all countries have the freedom of choice. It is essential for everybody to be mindful of and appreciate such realities."
Last week, the US had urged India to use its long-standing relationship with Russia to tell Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his "illegal war" in Ukraine. Several US departments expressed concerns over India-Russia relations in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-profile visit to Moscow, where he was greeted by Putin as a "dear friend".
"India has a longstanding relationship with Russia. I think that’s well-known. And we have – speaking for the United States – encouraged India to utilise that relationship with Russia, that longstanding relationship and the unique position that they have, to urge President Putin to end his illegal war and to find a just peace, a lasting peace to this conflict; to tell Vladimir Putin to respect the UN Charter, to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty – sovereignty," said the US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a briefing.
(With inputs from agency)
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