'Strongest Ever...': Antony Blinken On India-US Bilateral Ties As 2+2 Dialogue Begins

US Secretary of state Antony Blinken said that the two countries had not only the strongest bilateral partnership they ever had, but also a regional and a global one, as shown by India’s leadership for the G20.

New Delhi: The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar kicked off the fifth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi, hailing the partnership between the two countries as the “strongest ever.” Blinken said that he was delighted to be in India, where he had a remarkable year of engagement with his Indian counterpart.

He said that the two countries had not only the strongest bilateral partnership they ever had, but also a regional and a global one, as shown by India’s leadership for the G20 this year. He said that the two countries had a lot to do, especially with their defence colleagues. He said that this was a proof of their resolute focus on the Indo-Pacific, the region of the future. He said that the future was already here, and that they were building it together with India.

Jaishankar welcomed Blinken, who was on his third visit to India this year. He said that this visit had a special significance, as it was a follow up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s June visit and President Joe Biden’s September visit to the US.

He said that this was a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which meant that they would take a broader view of what they were doing. Jaishankar also mentioned the G20 Summit that was held under India’s chairmanship in September at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. He thanked Blinken, the US government and President Biden on behalf of Prime Minister Modi, for their strong support that helped India achieve the consensus and the outcomes at the summit.

He said that it was important to acknowledge that. Jaishankar said that they would take a wider view of what the two countries were doing in terms of bilateral partnership. He said that as QUAD members, they would discuss the Indo-Pacific, and also the global and regional issues, such as the situation in West Asia and the Middle East, which was a big concern at the moment.

He said that he looked forward to discussing those and other issues with Blinken. The dialogue will provide a platform for high-level discussions between the US and India, addressing critical bilateral and global issues, with a special focus on the developments in the Indo-Pacific region.

The 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is a diplomatic summit that has been held every year since 2018, with the Minister of External Affairs and the Defence Minister representing India and the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defence representing the US. The discussions centre on common issues of interest between the two countries.