US Secretary of State Blinken to visit India next week

Discussions on Quad, Afghanistan and pandemic likely

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will be visiting India next week on July 27 and 28, the Ministry of External Affairs has announced. This is Secretary Blinken's first visit to India after assuming charge as U.S. Secretary of State.

On 28 July, he will meet the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

“Secretary Blinken's visit is an opportunity to continue the high-level bilateral dialogue and bolster the India-US global strategic partnership,” the MEA said. “Both sides will review the robust and multifaceted India-US bilateral relations, and potential for consolidating them further,” it added.

“Discussions will focus on regional and global issues of mutual interest – including recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indo-Pacific region, Afghanistan and cooperation in the UN,” the MEA said.