INDIA, U.S. CONNECT IN MUNICH, FOCUS ON WEST ASIA, CHINA

Besides Antony Blinken, Dr Jaishankar held talks with his counterparts from several countries, including Canada’s Melanie Joly. He also hada casual interaction with China’s Wang Yi.

- MANISH CHAND

Amid increasing concerns about the role of Iran in the Red Sea attacks and growing Chinese assertion in the maritime realm, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Germany’s Munich that revolved around the fraught situation in West Asia, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific.

The two foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on 17 February, Saturday, amid emerging points of contention in the IndiaUS ties over the alleged role of an Indian agent in the foiled attempt to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Concerns about China’s increasing assertion in disputed maritime bodies such as the South China Sea figured prominently in discussions. In the tweets posted by Dr Jaishankar on X, he mentioned that the discussions focused on Ukraine, IndoPacific and the Middle East, that is West Asia.

According to US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, Secretary Blinken and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar discussed the need to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. “Secretary Blinken highlighted that the respective U.S. and Indian approaches to maritime security in the Red Sea are mutually reinforcing and play important roles in safeguarding economic stability in the region.” The two also discussed ongoing work to ensure lasting peace and security in the Middle East, he added.