U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with their Indian counterparts, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, on Friday (November 10), emphasizing the need to strengthen their alliance to address pressing global geopolitical challenges.
The officials gathered for the annual “2+2 Dialogue,” focusing on enhancing defense cooperation and aligning policy objectives in the Indo-Pacific region.
During the talks, the once Cold War adversaries discussed landmark deals, including the U.S. supplying and manufacturing engines for Indian fighter jets, the provision of MQ-9 Predator drones, and collaboration in semiconductor manufacturing.
“We’re harnessing together the power of innovation to make our economies more resilient and to make our communities more secure while expanding inclusive economic opportunity. That’s evident in the cooperation on semiconductors and advanced biotechnology, on our unprecedented investments in deploying clean energy at scale in our countries as well as across the region and our joint research and exploration projects,” Blinken said.
The discussions are anticipated to cover mutual concerns regarding China, setting the stage for President Joe Biden’s expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.
