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EAM talks ties, Ukraine war in Blinken meeting
New Delhi Days ahead of a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, external affairs minister S Jaishankar met US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Sunday and discussed a wide range of issues, including bilateral ties, the raging Ukraine conflict, energy matters, G20 and the situation in the Indo-Pacific
New Delhi
Days ahead of a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, external affairs minister S Jaishankar met US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Sunday and discussed a wide range of issues, including bilateral ties, the raging Ukraine conflict, energy matters, G20 and the situation in the Indo-Pacific.
The meeting between the top diplomats took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Summit in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.
Jaishankar was accompanying Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who led the Indian delegation to the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and the 17th East Asia Summit.
Jaishankar and Blinken met days ahead of a likely bilateral between PM Modi and President Biden on the margins of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, from November 15 to 16.
“A good meeting with US Secretary of State Secretary Blinken. Discussed Ukraine, Indo-Pacific, energy, G20 and bilateral relations,” Jaishankar said in a tweet, indicating the topics he discussed with Blinken.
The two also discussed the ongoing efforts to expand partnership between the countries, Blinken tweeted.
“I met Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on the margins of the ASEAN summit today in Phnom Penh to discuss ongoing efforts to expand our partnership and mitigate the effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine. The US supports India’s G20 Presidency,” Blinken’s tweet said.
Jaishankar’s meeting with Blinken took place after his meeting with Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday in Cambodia, and talks with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday.
India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has maintained that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. Since the Ukraine conflict began in February, Prime Minister Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a number of times.
In a phone conversation with Zelensky on October 4, Modi said that there can be “no military solution” and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts.
At a bilateral meeting with Putin in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on September 16, Modi told him that “today’s era is not of war”.
In the last few months, India has increased the import of discounted crude oil from Russia notwithstanding increasing disquiet over it by several Western powers.
In Phnom Penh, Jaishankar also met UN chief Antonio Guterres at the end of the ASEAN gala dinner on Saturday.
Jaishankar held talks with his counterpart from Thailand Don Pramudwinai. “Always nice to catch up with DPM & FM Don Pramudwinai of Thailand. Discussed our shared regional concerns and the strengthening partnership with ASEAN,” he tweeted.
Jaishankar on Saturday discussed a range of issues with his counterparts from Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.
“Met Canadian colleagues Trade Minister @mary_ng and FM @melaniejoly at the ASEAN gala dinner. All for greater trade and strategic convergence, while countering terrorism and opposing radicalization,” he said in another tweet.
The US President also attended the East Asia Summit, where he met Vice President Dhankhar.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said that President Biden and Prime Minister Modi have a productive and very practical relationship.
“I would point out Prime Minister Modi has already been to the White House since President Biden took office, and the two of them have had the opportunity to meet in person multiple times and to talk by phone and on video multiple times,” Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Thursday.
He said the two leaders see common interests on a number of critical issues and have really worked together to strengthen the US-India partnership. “When you add all that up, it is a productive, very practical relationship,” Sullivan said.
“President Biden is looking forward to seeing Prime Minister Modi at the G20 this year, as we look ahead to the next year,” he said. India is set to take over the presidency of the G20 in December.
(With agency inputs)
