S Jaishankar and Antony Blinken discuss Ukraine, other regional, global issues

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke over the phone on Sunday where they discussed regional as well as global issues that understandably included Ukraine and East Asia.

"A warm conversation, as always with US Secretary of State @SecBlinken this morning. Discussed current regional and global issues. Noted the steady progress in our bilateral ties," Jaishankar tweeted.

The conversation happened days after US Envoy Eric Garcetti landed here and amid a visit by senior MEA officials to America. The two sides have also increased their military cooperation amid China's belligerent moves in South Asia.


During an earlier meeting here in March on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers meet, the two Ministers held discussions on measures to mitigate the global impacts of the Ukraine war. The two Ministers had then discussed contours of PM's proposed to the USA in mid-2023.

At that meeting, Blinken shared his views on tackling global and regional challenges with Jaishankar. US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price had issued a statement at that time saying that the two parties discussed ways how India and the US can expand technology and defence cooperation and increase food energy, and health security.

Price had also informed that Blinken and Jaishankar spoke about efforts to elevate and expand strategic technology and defence industrial cooperation and promote food, energy, and global health security. The two leaders had also held discussions to promote clean energy transition, counternarcotics cooperation and women's economic empowerment.

In March Blinken visited India to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Quad Foreign Ministers Meet here.