NEW DELHI: New US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had a telephonic conversation with External Affairs Minister late Friday, stressed on India’s role as a pre-eminent partner in the Indo-Pacific region. According to State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, Blinken discussed ways to use the new opportunities and take on challenges in the region during his conversation.
Both leaders also agreed to broaden cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region through the Quad. Quad is a grouping comprising Australia, Japan, India and the US and is perceived be constituted to keep the Chinese threat in the region at bay. “Both agreed to coordinate closely on global developments and look forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity,” Price said.
Blinken took to Twitter to announce his conversation with the external affairs minister. “We reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-India relationship and discussed ways we can better seize new opportunities and combat shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” he tweeted. In a statement, the ministry of external affairs said that both leaders agreed to expand the multifaceted India-US strategic partnership.