"Jaishankar and US Secretary Blinken Engage in High-Stakes Discussions, Keeping a Tight Lid on the Brewing Tensions Between India and Canada."

 

During their discussions, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delved into global developments in his conversations with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. These talks occurred against the backdrop of a simmering diplomatic dispute between India and Canada.

 

Amidst the ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who is currently on a five-day official visit to Washington DC, engaged in extensive discussions with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Their talks encompassed a wide range of topics, including global developments. Notably, during this meeting, they laid the groundwork for a forthcoming 2+2 meeting, although neither side disclosed any direct or indirect implications of the ongoing diplomatic row.

 This meeting holds significant importance as it represents the highest-level interaction between the two countries since the G-20 Summit held in New Delhi.

 Taking to social media platform X, Jaishankar shared his thoughts, saying, "Great to meet my friend US Secretary of State @SecBlinken at the State Department today. A wide-ranging discussion, following up on PM @narendramodi’s June visit. Also exchanged notes on global developments. Laid the groundwork for our 2+2 meeting very soon."

 Jaishankar went on to announce that India will host the fifth edition of the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. Although the specific dates of the meeting were not disclosed, it is understood that this ministerial dialogue will take place in the first half of November. The US delegation will include Secretary Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, while India will be represented by Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

 "I actually look forward to seeing you in Delhi for the 2+2,” Jaishankar expressed to Blinken during their meeting. The previous 2+2 ministerial took place in Washington DC on April 11, and it was initiated during the Trump administration, with the first meeting occurring in New Delhi on September 6, 2018.

Furthermore, Jaishankar highlighted the discussions on India-US collaboration in critical and emerging technologies and the establishment of resilient supply chains during a session convened by @USISPForum. He expressed his satisfaction with India's prominence in corporate boardrooms, indicating that their collaboration holds increasing possibilities with each passing day.

Regarding the India-Canada diplomatic row, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized the US's encouragement for India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation into the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“I don’t want to preview the conversations he (Blinken) will have in that meeting (with Jaishankar), but as we’ve made clear, we’ve raised this; we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this and encouraged them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, and we continue to encourage them to cooperate,” said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller.

In a significant development, a top United States diplomat confirmed the existence of "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" that prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's controversial allegation about the potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil. The "Five Eyes" network comprises the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and is an intelligence alliance encompassing surveillance-based and signals intelligence (SIGINT).

On September 18, Trudeau made the explosive allegation regarding the potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. India strongly rejected these allegations as "absurd" and "motivated," leading to the expulsion of a senior Canadian diplomat in response to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

In response to reporters' questions about the ongoing row, Secretary Blinken refrained from making any comments.