Blinken, Jaishankar discuss Indo-Pac, Sri Lanka, Myanmar

India and the USA on Thursday held Foreign Minister level dialogue on pressing issues in the Indo-Pacific region including tensions in the Taiwan Straits and situation in Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

The dialogue was held in the Cambodian capital on the margins of ASEAN meetings.

It is understood that the rising tensions between China and Taiwan following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's high-profile visit to Taipei also figured in the talks between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.


After meeting Blinken, Jaishankar said that there was a lot that both the leaders had to talk about. "It's always good to meet. There's a lot that we need to talk about and it's actually been a very busy year, we had a very good Quad and since then I think a number of developments," he said.

Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Cambodia to attend the ASEAN-India Ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh, an annual event that takes stock of the ASEAN-India partnership.
"A warm conversation to start meetings on sidelines of ASEAN Ministerial in Phnom Penh. Discussed the ever-strengthening India-US relationship and the global situation with US Secretary of State @SecBlinken," Jaishankar further tweeted.

The US Secretary said that taking part in ASEAN meets was "an opportunity for us to get together and compare notes with our closest partners, starting with my longtime friend, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar". "It's an opportunity for us to compare notes as we head into ASEAN meetings," he said.

Blinken further said that India and the US are both strong proponents of ASEAN centrality. "We have a shared vision together for a free and open Indo-Pacific that we work on in so many different ways every single day," he said.

The US Secretary said that New Delhi and Washington have some immediate challenges that both the countries are concerned with including the situation in Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar) and other hotspots.

Blinken later met Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and offered support in securing IMF funding for the bankrupt nation.

Jaishankar also met Sabry and extended support for economic recovery. “A warm first meeting with FM Ali Sabry of Sri Lanka. Congratulated him on his new responsibility. Reaffirmed India’s commitment, as a dependable friend and reliable partner, to the economic recovery and well being of Sri Lanka. Neighbourhood First,” Jaishankar tweeted.

The Minister also met his counterparts from ASEAN. “A productive ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting at Phnom Penh. Thank Singapore FM @VivianBala and ASEAN colleagues for a good discussion. Strong convergence on Indo-Pacific, UNCLOS, Connectivity, Covid-19, Terrorism, Cyber Security, Ukraine and Myanmar,” he tweeted following the meet.

Jaishankar and Blinken last met at Bali in July on the sidelines of G20 summit and focused on a range of challenges with "greater understanding and openness".

"Continued the conversation with Secretary Blinken on global and regional issues, this time at Bali G-20 FMM. Our relationship today allows us to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness," Jaishankar had then tweeted. The Ukraine crisis is believed to have figured in the Bali talks.