Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
WASHINGTON DC, 3rd Nov. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Thursday said that India and the United States will hold the 2+2 ministerial dialogue involved the defence and foreign ministers of both nations this month.
They will also discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict and the war in Ukraine apart from bilateral talks
Blinken will travel to New Delhi on the last leg of the Asia tour on Thursday, the state department said in a statement issued.
Blinken accompanied with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III at the 2+2 ministerial dialogue with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Both countries will discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific, an official statement said.
The exact date of the ministerial dialogue has not been announced but it is likely to take place before Diwali.
Blinken will visit Israel, Jordan, Japan and South Korea.
The statement said that Blinken in Israel 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,” it said.
He will 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, the statement added.
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