New Delhi: US Secretary Blinken, the third senior member of the Biden administration arrived in New Delhi, on Tuesday night. He formally began the visit with a civil society roundtable on Wednesday morning.
Ahead of the talks, Mr Blinken reaffirmed the rule of law and fundamental freedoms including freedom of religion as being the bedrock of democracies like India and the US. “The Indian people and the American people believe in human dignity and equality of opportunity, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms including freedom of religion and belief . . . these are the fundamental tenets of democracies like ours,” he said.
The secretary of state will begin his official engagements with a meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. This will be followed by a meet and greet with the staff of the US embassy.
The chief engagement for Mr Blinken today will be with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, over lunch. Following which he would meet PM Modi in the evening.
During the visit, the US minister also intends to focus on ‘shared democratic values’ with the Indian subcontinent. He also expressed, US support to India’s emergence as a leading global power and vital partner to make the Indo-Pacific a region of stability and economic inclusion
This is Blinken’s first visit to the country since president Biden took over the Senate.