US State Secy Antony Blinken to visit India for 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on the visit of five nations, whose conclusion will be marked by his visit to India to participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in November, the State Department informed in a statement. Blinken will be visiting Israel, Jordan, Japan, South Korea and lastly, India.

During his visit to India, Blinken will be accompanied by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.

The US delegation will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior Indian officials to discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific.

In Israel, Blinken will reiterate US support for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism consistent with international humanitarian law and discuss efforts to safeguard US citizens in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, work to secure the immediate release of hostages, increase the pace and volume of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza for distribution to Palestinian civilians, and prevent the conflict from spreading, the statement read.

After this, he will go to Jordan, where Blinken will underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives and our shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, the resumption of essential services, and ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside of Gaza.

He will also discuss urgent mechanisms to stem violence, calm rhetoric, reduce regional tensions, and reaffirm the US commitment to working with partners to set the conditions necessary for a durable and sustainable peace in the Middle East, including the establishment of a Palestinian state, the State Department added.

"Secretary Blinken will then lead US delegations to Tokyo, Seoul, and New Delhi to advance collaborative efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region that is prosperous, secure, connected, and resilient," it added.

In Tokyo, Blinken will participate in the second G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting of 2023, where G7 foreign ministers will build on the commitments made by leaders at the G7 Hiroshima Summit. Blinken will also thank Japan for its successful G7 presidency.

The Secretary will also have bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko to discuss bilateral priorities, including supporting Ukraine's economic recovery and energy needs and strengthening our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Blinken will then travel to Seoul to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol, Foreign Minister Park Jin, and National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong. The Secretary will discuss ways the United States and the ROK can respond to global challenges, including Russia's war against Ukraine and Russia's growing military cooperation with the DPRK, as well as instability in the Middle East.

They will also discuss mutual efforts to support bilateral investment and economic security.

"In Tokyo and in Seoul, the Secretary will underscore the United States' ironclad commitment to the defence of Japan and the ROK and reaffirm the importance of robust and sustained trilateral engagement following the historic Camp David Summit in August," the State Department said.

It added, "The Secretary will then travel to New Delhi to participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, joined by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III. The delegation will meet with Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, and other senior Indian officials to discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific".