India-US relations and Red Sea tensions take center stage at Blinken-S Jaishankar talks in Munich

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the need to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea during a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Germany, stressing that the US and India play an important role in maintaining economic stability in the volatile region.

The two leaders met on Friday on the sidelines of the German city’s prestigious Munich Security Conference.

“Blinken and Jaishankar discussed the need to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a readout of the meeting.

Blinken emphasized that the respective approaches of the United States and India on maritime security issues in the Red Sea are complementary and play an important role in maintaining economic stability in the region.

Miller said they also discussed ongoing efforts to ensure lasting peace and security in the Middle East.

Since November, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked ships in the Red Sea and demanded a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The bilateral meeting comes weeks after the United States agreed to provide 31 MQ-9B Predator armed drones to India, two months after the two sides were charged with conspiring to assassinate Sikh separatist Gul in the United States. Parwant Singh Pannu was disturbed. India has set up a high-level commission of inquiry to look into the US allegations.

“It was a pleasure to meet my friend US @SecBlinken on the sidelines of #MSC2024 this afternoon. Our conversation focused on the situation in West Asia, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region. Jaishankar reviewed the continued progress in our bilateral relations and posted a Photos from the meeting show the two leaders sitting across the table from officials from both sides.

Blinken said in his speech: “The extraordinary partnership between the United States and India has grown stronger in recent years, stronger than ever, and for us, it is the most important relationship in the world. One.” The reporter was with Jaishankar after the meeting.

The top U.S. diplomat said the two countries were “working closely together” on a series of important priorities that “are transforming the lives of people in India and people in the United States,” listing them as promoting shared prosperity and advancing democracy and human rights. , respond to climate change and jointly safeguard the rules-based international order.

Jaishankar said what was important today was to resolve very complex issues effectively and “without escalating the conflict”. “Of course, there are many other issues – issues in this part of the world, issues in the Indo-Pacific – that we need to discuss. It’s great to have this opportunity,” he said.

Blinken’s speech summed up the atmosphere of the meeting and India-US relations: “This work is not just the work of a day or a meeting, it is a day-to-day work, but it is important to be able to take stock of where India and the United States are in the region and The situation in the world and the many challenges we face together.”

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)