Blinken says India-US promoting open Indo-Pacific by strengthening QUAD

New Delhi: India and the United States are promoting a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific by strengthening the partnership through QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) with Japan and Australia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

In his opening remarks at the fifth 2 2 India-US Ministerial Dialogue here in Delhi, Blinken said, "We are promoting a free and open, prosperous, secure and resilient Indo-Pacific, including by strengthening our partnership through the QUAD with Japan and Australia. One significant way we're doing that is by enhancing maritime domain awareness, sharing commercial satellite data with countries in the region to boost their capacity."

Citing examples, Blinken added by saying, "For example, to combat illegal phishing, piracy, and drug trafficking. We're also coordinating humanitarian relief and disaster response efforts in the Indo-Pacific..."

He also mentioned PM Modi's state visit to the US which took place in June this year. Blinken said, "...When President Biden hosted PM Modi at the White House in June, both of our leaders set out a very ambitious agenda to build an even stronger and even more comprehensive strategic partnership that delivers for our people as well as for the region and we believe, for the world and together we have been taking very concrete steps to deliver on the vision that our two leaders put forward."

As the fifth India-US 2 2 Ministerial Dialogue began in New Delhi, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the partnership between the two countries as the "strongest ever."

"It is always wonderful to be here in India. We are building a remarkable year of engagement...We have not only the strongest bilateral partnership we've ever had, but also a regional one, and indeed, a global one that was further evidenced by India's leadership for the G20 this year," Blinken said.

(ANI)