External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held “wide-ranging” talks with his US counterpart Antony Blinken against the backdrop of uneasiness in India-US ties following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia three weeks ago.
Mr Jaishankar and Blinken are in Tokyo on Monday to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Quad or Quadrilateral Alliance, a grouping of four countries.
This conversation between the External Affairs Minister and the US Secretary of State has taken place at a time when America is continuously demanding accountability from New Delhi in the case related to the alleged failed plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in New York.
It is not yet clear whether Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Russia and the assassination plot were discussed in the Jaishankar-Blinken talks.
In a post on ‘X’, Mr Jaishankar said he and Blinken held wide-ranging discussions on regional and global issues.
“Great to meet @SecBlinken in Tokyo today,” he said.
Mr Jaishankar said, “Our bilateral agenda is moving forward steadily. There was also extensive discussion on regional and global issues.”
It’s so nice to meet @secblinken Today in Tokyo.
Our bilateral agenda is moving forward steadily. There was also a wide-ranging discussion on regional and global issues.
Looking forward to attending the Quad FMM tomorrow.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 28, 2024
In his post on X, Blinken wrote that he met Mr. Jaishankar “to deepen US-India cooperation and reaffirm our shared commitment to regional peace, security, and prosperity.”
met with Indian Foreign Minister @DrSJaishankar Deepening U.S.-India cooperation and reaffirming our shared commitment to regional peace, security, and prosperity. pic.twitter.com/sHSSH3uTtq
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 28, 2024
The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the overall situation in Gaza are believed to have been discussed in the talks.
The US and many of its allies were upset at the timing of Modi’s July 8-9 Moscow visit, as it coincided with the NATO summit in Washington. Some Western countries were also upset that Modi chose Russia for his first bilateral visit in his third term.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu said at a US Congressional hearing on Tuesday that the US was disappointed by the “symbolism” and “timing” of Modi’s visit to Russia.
The Biden administration official specifically highlighted that the Indian Prime Minister visited Moscow at a time when Washington was hosting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.
New Delhi on Thursday rejected Lu’s comments and said all countries have “freedom of choice” in a multipolar world and everyone should be mindful of such realities.
Meanwhile, India and Ukraine are planning a visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Kyiv next month.
There was also some uneasiness in India-US relations following the alleged assassination plot.
In November last year, US federal prosecutors accused Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in a failed plot to murder Pannu in New York.
Pannu, wanted in India on terrorism charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.
Nikhil Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, and extradited to the US last month.
Following the US allegations, India appointed a high-level inquiry committee to look into the information provided by the US regarding the conspiracy.
In April, The Washington Post named an Indian official responsible for the alleged plot.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
