EAM Jaishankar, US NSA Sullivan Hold Talks On Bilateral Cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Wednesday and discussed bilateral cooperation.

In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, “A great meeting with NSA @JakeSullivan46. As always, a productive conversation on bilateral cooperation and good insights into global politics.” Jaishankar also met the Assistant to the US President and National Security Advisor to US Vice President, Phil Gordon.

Sharing details regarding his meeting with Gordon, Jaishankar in a post on X said, "Good to see @PhilGordon46 during my Washington visit. Appreciated the conversation on our bilateral ties and various global developments."

Gordon said that he and Jaishankar took stock of "important progress" made in the bilateral ties, including growing defence and technology cooperation.

In a post on X, Phil Gordon stated, "Great to meet this week with Minister @DrSJaishankar of India. We took stock of important progress in the US-India relationship, including our growing defence and technology cooperation. We also discussed regional security issues in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe."

Earlier on Tuesday, S Jaishankar held a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, DC. Jaishankar said that they followed up on the Delaware bilateral and quad meetings.

"Delighted to hold talks with Antony Blinken today in Washington DC. We followed up on the Delaware bilateral and Quad meetings. Our discussions also covered deepening bilateral cooperation, the situation in West Asia, recent developments in the Indian subcontinent, the Indo-Pacific and Ukraine," Jaishankar posted on X.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that Blinken and Jaishankar discussed the United States and India's enduring commitment to deepening bilateral ties, coordinating closely on regional and global challenges, and advancing cooperation on critical and emerging technologies.

Blinken noted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's August visit to Kyiv and reiterated the importance of a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. Jaishankar and Blinken also discussed plans to expand collaboration on clean energy initiatives to address the global climate crisis, the statement added.

In the meeting, Blinken condemned the Iranian attack on Israel, calling it "totally unacceptable." He emphasised India's critical role on the global stage in promoting peace.

"India plays a critical role on the global stage, working for peace and security. We are doing more together than ever before. Following the UN General Assembly and the meetings we held with the Quad and bilaterally, this is an excellent opportunity to take stock of the many issues we are addressing together, improving the lives of our people and making a positive contribution to the world," he said.

Responding to Blinken, EAM Jaishankar thanked him for facilitating the meetings between Prime Minister Modi and US President Biden and acknowledged the opportunity these meetings provided to assess progress in various areas.

"It's a great pleasure to be back in Washington and at the department. Let me begin by thanking you for the excellent meeting between the Prime Minister and the President in Delaware and a very successful Quad meeting. These gatherings gave us a chance to take stock of the progress in various areas. I look forward to our discussions today. On the bilateral front, we have achieved a lot since our last meeting, but there are also global issues to address, including some of the events you mentioned today. I look forward to a productive conversation," he said. (ANI)