US Secretary to discuss human rights, democracy with India during visit

New Delhi: The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will be arriving in India on Tuesday for his two-day visit. He will be meeting with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The meeting between Anthony Blinken and S Jaishankar is likely to cover the possibilities of working together in the UN, as India will be holding the Presidency of the UN Security Council in August.

Dean Thompson, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, said that Blinken will be raising the issues of human rights and democracy during his visit. He added the US will continue the conversation with India on the issues as it firmly believes that both sides have more values in common.

Dean Thompson told the media that the US believes that India is going to be a really important part of continuing conversations and building strong efforts on the fronts in partnership. The sources in India stated that India believes in equity and fairness in areas of development, climate change, and global decision-making.

Official sources said that India is proud of its achievements in upholding democratic values, and is open to engaging with those who recognise diversity. India is also set to discuss global issues like political and cultural rebalancing with the US.

The statement said that India supports a truly multipolar, democratic, and diverse world order. It added that the nation expects international conversations to reflect this evolution. "As a long-standing pluralistic society, India is open to engaging those who now recognise the value of diversity," said the official statement.

This will be Blinken's first visit to India after taking charge as the Us Secretary of State after the Biden administration came to power in January. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had visited the US in May. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin visited India in March and Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry had come to New Delhi in April.