Jaishankar reaches Washington DC, to meet Blinken

Apart from meeting U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, the External Affairs Minister is also scheduled to interact with the think-tank community

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), during which they are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral and global issues, including the Ukraine war and the West Asia crisis.

Mr. Jaishankar, who arrived in the U.S. capital on Sunday, will also meet other Cabinet-rank and senior Biden administration officials.

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Apart from meeting U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, the External Affairs Minister is also scheduled to interact with the think-tank community.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will host a conversation between Jaishankar and its president Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuellar on the future of U.S.-India relations.

The think-tank said India's strategic importance was rising both globally and in the making of U.S. foreign policy, and cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2023 State Visit and his recent bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden to showcase this relationship.

Mr. Biden hosted Mr. Modi at his Delaware residence for a bilateral meeting on September 21. They were later joined by leaders from Australia and Japan for the QUAD Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.

The think-tank said amid fast-paced global developments, India's bilateral ties with the U.S. had grown more extensive.

The two countries have deepened partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, as well as on defence innovation, and critical and emerging technologies, it added.

"What is India's vision for global leadership? How can the US and India bolster cooperation on issues ranging from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to democracy, security, and trade? And how can the two countries work together to bridge critical geopolitical divides?" the think tank further said.

This is Mr. Jaishankar's first visit to the US capital since the third Modi government took office.

Published - September 30, 2024 11:51 am IST