Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Monday underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “this is not the time of war” statement made last year during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The statement from Joe Biden’s administration comes as secretary of state Antony Blinken arrived in New Delhi to attend a host of key conferences, including the G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting.
After his visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Blinken arrived in New Delhi for a three-day India trip. During his bilateral meetings, both Russia and China are expected to figure in talks. (Explained: Three situations that could end Russia-Ukraine war)
“You have heard very firmly from Prime Minister Modi the belief on the part of the Indian government that this is not an era of war. There are countries around the world, notably Russia, that are challenging the rules-based order, the principles of the UN Charter, the principles of international law, the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, Price said.
Price further emphasised the importance of India as a key partner of the United States, noting that the two countries have attempted to stitch together partnerships in which India has played a crucial role. “India is a global strategic partner of ours. We have a wide, broad, deep relationship with India. There will be a lot on the agenda in the bilateral relationship and in the multilateral engagements he takes part in on the margins of the G20,” he said.
“We share a vision with India of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and India is a key partner of ours bilaterally, in the context of the Quad as well, as other international groupings, even as we’ve attempted to stitch together some of the partnerships in which India has been a key player,” Price said.
Price added that India and the United States share a number of important interests and a number of important values. “But principally we share a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. There are countries in the region, namely the PRC (People’s Republic of China), that have posed a consistent and in some ways even a systemic challenge to the vision that we share with India of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Without going into specifics, those issues will certainly be on the agenda at the G20 but also in the bilateral context,” he said.
(With inputs from agency)
