Jaishankar-Sullivan meet as India-US review strong partnership

Washington, May 28: US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (NSA) and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met on Thursday "to review the strong partnership between the world's largest democracies", the White House said.

"Pleased to meet NSA Jake Sullivan. Wide-ranging discussions including on Indo-Pacific and Afghanistan. Conveyed appreciation for US solidarity in addressing the Covid challenge. India-US vaccine partnership can make a real difference," Jaishankar said in a tweet after the meeting.

"Our people-to-people ties, and our values are the foundation of the US-India partnership and will help us end the pandemic, lead on climate, and support a free and open Indo-Pacific," Sullivan wrote on Twitter after the meeting.

The US government and Americans across the country have delivered over USD 500 million in Covid-19 relief to India. "We will beat this pandemic together," Sullivan tweeted.

During the meeting, Sullivan and Jaishankar welcomed the cooperation in recent weeks that resulted in deliveries of over USD 500 million in Covid-19 relief supplies from the US federal and state governments, US companies and private citizens across America for the people of India, said Emily Horne, Spokesperson of the National Security Council, White House.

"They discussed a range of regional and global issues, and agreed that the United States and India should continue working closely together to address common challenges throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

"They agreed that people-to-people ties and shared values are the foundation of the US-India strategic partnership that is helping to end the pandemic, supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, and providing global leadership on climate change," she said.

Jaishankar is part of India's first cabinet-level visit to Washington since Joe Biden took over as the US president. The external affairs minister is scheduled to meet Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Friday.

Jaishankar also had meetings with the American business leadership hosted by the US India Business Council and the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum.