US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is arriving in India today on a two-day visit. He will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during his stay in India. His agenda is likely to include the situation of Afghanistan and a coordinated covid-19 response, among other things.
Blinken is also expected to raise topics such as Human Rights and democracy during his Visit to New Delhi, according to Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson.
Afghanistan is likely to be a key issue during Blinken's visit. India is keeping a close tab on the recent developments in Afghanistan. New Delhi believes that the gains made by the democratic system in Afghanistan over the last 20 years should not be allowed to wither away and for that US support for Afghan forces in the coming days would be crucial.
On the other hand, it’s expected that India's delegation will bring up issues like US troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and the need to maintain pressure on Pakistan over terror financing and terrorist sanctuaries.
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The two sides are also likely to discuss a coordinated Covid-19 response, including open and consistent supply chains for materials and items required for vaccine production.
Additionally, Indo-Pacific engagements, including a possible meeting of Quad foreign ministers, an in-person Quad summit, and the Quad vaccine partnership, as well as bilateral contacts, such as the 2+2 meeting of defense and foreign ministers, are also expected to be discussed.
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