New Delhi, Nov 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met two key US officials, as India hosted a ‘2+2’ dialogue between the two nations involving senior leaders.
Modi later described the India-US partnership as a force for global good.
The Prime Minister during the day met US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New Delhi.
In a post on micro-blogging platform X, PM Modi said, “Glad to receive @SecBlinken and @SecDef. The “2+2” format is a key enabler for further strengthening the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership”
The Prime Minister said the two countries have a shared belief in democracy, pluralism and the rule of law, that “underpins our mutually beneficial cooperation in diverse sectors”.
“The India-US partnership is truly a force for global goo,” he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were also present at the meeting.
On Friday India hosted the ‘2+2’ dialogue in which Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar, Austin and Blinken held extensive deliberations to take forward the India-U.S. global strategic partnership.
After the dialogue concluded, the External Affairs Minister said, “Our agenda covered advancing our strategic partnership, including elevating our defense ties, moving forward in space & tech, future logistics cooperation and people-to-people contacts”
In a social media post, Jaishankar said, “Also exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, South Asia, West Asia and Ukraine conflict. Reaffirmed our commitment to our collaboration in the multilateral arena and engaged the Global South”.
A joint statement after the dialogue averred that there was substantial progress in transforming U.S.-India relations across domains, based on trust and mutual understanding.
It said, “Building upon the June 2023 and September 2023 visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joseph Biden, the Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in ensuring international peace and security.”
“The Ministers also underlined their strong commitment to safeguarding a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific through mechanisms like the Quad” the statement noted.
The Ministers discussed developments in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Ukraine among other regions. The ministers expressed mutual deep concern over the war in Ukraine and its tragic humanitarian consequences.
Describing as “horrific” the terrorist attacks against Israel, the Ministers reiterated that the United States and India stand with Israel against terrorism and called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including with regard to the protection of civilians.
“They called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. The Ministers committed to continue coordinating with partners in the region on humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.” the statement noted.
