Antony Blinken and EAM S Jaishankar discussed a broad range of issues, including Covid relief, Quad, climate change, and multilateral cooperation

Washington: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed the Biden administration’s commitment to deepen the US-India comprehensive global strategic partnership, his spokesperson has said.

Jaishankar, who is on an official trip to the US, is the first Indian Cabinet minister to visit the country since Joe Biden became president on January 20.

Blinken welcomed Jaishankar to the Department of State, where he reaffirmed the US administration’s commitment to deepening the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said after the meeting on Friday.

The leaders discussed a broad range of issues, including COVID-19 relief, efforts to strengthen Indo-Pacific cooperation through the Quad, and a shared commitment to combating the climate crisis and enhancing multilateral cooperation, including at the UN Security Council, he said.

Blinken and Jaishankar also discussed regional developments, the coup in Burma and continuing support for Afghanistan, Price said, adding that the two leaders pledged to continue their cooperation on shared economic and regional security priorities.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Dean Thompson earlier told reporters that the meeting demonstrated our deep commitment to the partnership and to strengthening it in the years to come .

Today’s meeting between Blinken and Jaishankar, one of the first in-person visits that we have had in Washington since the beginning of the pandemic, showcased the breadth and depth of our relationship with India, which we view as one of the most important partnerships in the region and the world, he said.