Austin and Blinken to visit India for 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
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Washington: The State Department announced on Wednesday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will be visiting India for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue this month in New Delhi with their Indian counterparts, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Blinken's visit to India will culminate a trip that spanned more than a week, from November 2 to November 10, starting with Israel and Jordan, and ending with his Indo-Pacific travels to Japan, South Korea, and India.
The exact dates of his trips to these countries have not been announced. In New Delhi, the US delegation will participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
The delegation will meet with Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, and other senior Indian officials to discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific, Miller said.
Blinken is leaving for Tel Aviv on Thursday.
In Israel, Blinken will reiterate US support for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism consistent with international humanitarian law and discuss efforts to safeguard US citizens in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, work to secure the immediate release of hostages, increase the pace and volume of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza for distribution to Palestinian civilians, and prevent the conflict from spreading, Miller said.
In Jordan, he will underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives and their shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, the resumption of essential services, and ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside of Gaza.
He will also discuss urgent mechanisms to stem violence, calm rhetoric, reduce regional tensions, and reaffirm the US commitment to working with partners to set the conditions necessary for a durable and sustainable peace in the Middle East, to include the establishment of a Palestinian state, Miller said.
Blinken will then lead US delegations to Tokyo, Seoul, and New Delhi to advance collaborative efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region that is prosperous, secure, connected, and resilient.
In Tokyo, he will participate in the second G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting of 2023, where G7 foreign ministers will build on the commitments made by leaders at the G7 Hiroshima Summit.
Secretary Blinken will also thank Japan for its successful G7 presidency.
Blinken will also have bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko to discuss bilateral priorities, including supporting Ukraine's economic recovery and energy needs and strengthening their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Miller said.
Blinken will then travel to Seoul to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol, Foreign Minister Park Jin, and National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong.
The Secretary will discuss ways the United States and the ROK can respond to global challenges, including Russia's war against Ukraine and Russia's growing military cooperation with the DPRK, as well as instability in the Middle East. They will also discuss mutual efforts to support bilateral investment and economic security, he said.
In Tokyo and Seoul, the Secretary will underscore the United States' ironclad commitment to the defence of Japan and ROK and reaffirm the importance of robust and sustained trilateral engagement following the historic Camp David Summit in August, Miller said.
With PTI inputs
