Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met in Washington, D.C., to discuss the ongoing partnership between their countries. The meeting followed a recent attack by Iran on Israel.
"A few hours ago, Iran – for the second time in a space of five months – launched a direct attack on Israel, including some 200 ballistic missiles," Blinken said. "This is totally unacceptable, and the entire world should condemn it."
Blinken noted that initial reports indicate that Israel, with support from the United States and other partners, successfully countered the attack. He emphasized the U.S. commitment to Israel's defense and mentioned that they would remain in close contact with Israel and regional partners.
On a positive note, Blinken expressed his pleasure at welcoming Jaishankar. He highlighted the strong partnership between the United States and India, noting recent meetings involving Prime Minister Modi and President Biden.
"The warmth of that meeting, the ambition in the relationship, is at a level we’ve never seen before," Blinken stated. He pointed out various sectors where both countries are collaborating, such as strategic technology sectors, space, semiconductors, and clean energy.
Jaishankar reciprocated Blinken's sentiments about their bilateral relationship. "Let me begin by thanking you for a great meeting between the prime minister and the President in Delaware," he said. He also acknowledged progress made through mechanisms like the Quad meeting.
The discussions aimed to review numerous issues they are working on together to improve lives domestically and contribute positively globally.
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