Phone call planned between Jaishankar and Blinken to discuss bilateral ties: MEA

On Wednesday, the new US administration began its formal contacts with India’s top leadership as secretary of defence Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reached out to their counterparts Rajnath Singh and Ajit Doval to discuss defence cooperation and the Indo-Pacific region.

A planned phone call between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his new US counterpart Antony Blinken will be an “important opportunity” to discuss bilateral and global issues, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday.

External Affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar has congratulated Antony Blinken on his appointment as secretary of state and the introductory phone call between them will be scheduled “soon at a mutually convenient time”. (ANI PHOTO). (ANI Photo )

“As a new US administration takes shape, we continue to remain engaged at all levels to work together to further strengthen our comprehensive global strategic partnership,” ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava told a weekly news briefing.

Jaishankar has congratulated Blinken on his appointment as secretary of state and the introductory phone call between them will be scheduled “soon at a mutually convenient time”. Srivastava added: “It will be an important opportunity to discuss the bilateral as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated US President Joe Biden on his election on November 8 and they spoke on the phone on November 17, when they exchanged views on working together on “shared priorities and global challenges”.

Srivastava said Singh and Austin had reiterated the commitment to deepen defence cooperation.