Biden administration delivers speech on US-India partnership (file photo)

Washington:

The US-India partnership is one of the most important, the Biden administration said on Thursday, hours after notifying Congress of its decision to sell India 31 armed drones The cost to India is estimated to be close to $4 billion.

“I would say our partnership with India is one of our most important relationships. We work closely with India on our most important priorities,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a daily news briefing the reporter said.

“We have a close working relationship with (outgoing Indian) Ambassador (Taranjit Singh Sandhu) and are able to work with him on many shared priorities, including India’s role in ensuring freedom in the Indo-Pacific region Openness plays a critical role in making it connected, prosperous, secure and resilient,” Miller said.

“We wish him all the best for the future and look forward to welcoming his successor,” he said.

In response to a question, Miller said Secretary of State Antony Blinken has a close working relationship with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and that they are able to engage on some of the most pressing and important priorities.

“Obviously the secretary of state has traveled to India several times to meet with the foreign minister. He welcomed him here. He met with him in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly,” Miller said.

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