Jaishankar in Washington, to meet defence secretary Austin

Washington, May 27: External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar arrived in Washington DC for a series of meetings with top officials of the Biden administration including Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

He will also meet with his American counterpart, defence secretary Lloyd Austin during his three day visit. A meeting with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is also on the cards.

The meetings would focus on the progress made in the bilateral relations in the first 100 days of the Joe Biden government. The discussions will also lay the groundwork for the rest of the term of the Biden administration.

The timing of the meeting with Blinken is yet to be finalised as he is travelling in the Middle East in wake of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby informed in a press conference said, the secretary is meeting with the external affairs minister, will continue discussions that the two held in New Delhi in March and will continue the robust bilateral defence and security relationship between our two countries. We are looking forward to having him here at the Pentagon and hosting him for a good set of talks.

Jaishankar who arrived in the US on May 24 will continue his visit till May 28. This is the first visit by a senior Indian minister to the US since President Biden took over the office in January.