Blinken begins India go to with handle to civil society leaders | Civil Rights Information

The US Secretary of State will meet with his Indian counterpart and other officials before heading to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his Indian counterpart and other officials on Wednesday before heading to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Chinese rivals seek to deepen their cooperation and iron out differences.

On his first visit to the country since joining U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, Blinken is expected to discuss COVID-19 vaccine delivery, the security situation in Afghanistan and India’s human rights record on Wednesday.

Speaking to a group of civil society leaders at a hotel in New Delhi, Blinken said the relationship between the United States and India was “one of the most important in the world”.

Blinken and US Ambassador to India Atul Keshap meeting with civil society leaders at the Leela Palace Hotel in New Delhi [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

“The Indian people and the American people believe in human dignity and equal opportunities, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms including freedom of religion and belief … these are the basic principles of democracies like ours,” he said.

“And of course our two democracies are in the works. We talk about it as friends. “

Participants included religious leaders such as Geshe Dorji Damdul of the Tibet House in New Delhi, a cultural center of the Dalai Lama.

At its meetings in New Delhi, Blinken is expected to improve India’s human rights record as well as a new religion-based citizenship law that is widely seen as discriminatory against Muslims.

Ahead of Blinken’s visit, the Indian State Department said the country is proud of its pluralistic traditions and looks forward to discussing the issue with the top US diplomat.

Modi’s government has faced allegations of suppressing dissent, pursuing divisive policies to appeal to its Hindu nationalist base, and alienating Muslims, the country’s largest minority.

Blinken arrives at Delhi Palam Airport prior to meeting diplomatic counterparts [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

Blinken is expected to hold talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday.

“Discussions will focus on regional and global issues of common concern – including recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indo-Pacific region, Afghanistan and cooperation at the United Nations,” the State Department said.

Both sides will discuss the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are rapidly expanding the territory they control after a US troop withdrawal.

Despite the Taliban’s declared goal of overthrowing the Afghan government, US President Joe Biden has announced that his government will end its Afghanistan mission on August 31, after almost 20 years.

The developing situation in the Indo-Pacific region against the backdrop of Chinese military behavior is also on the agenda, said Indian analysts.

The talks in New Delhi are set to lay the foundation for a summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – which includes Australia, India, Japan and the US – later this year, Indian media reported.

The group is considered a regional bulwark against Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

After completing his meeting in New Delhi, Blinken will travel to Kuwait late Wednesday.