Top U.S. and Indian diplomats and protection chiefs focus on safety points, Israel-Hamas battle

NEW DELHI (AP) — The prime diplomats and protection chiefs from India and the United States met Friday to debate safety points involving the Indo-Pacific, China and the Israel-Hamas battle.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated the U.S. and India are persevering with to “deepen our partnership, deepen our collaboration on everything from emerging technologies to defense to people-to-people ties, as well as our shared diplomacy to try to advance an Indo-Pacific region that’s free, that’s open, that’s prosperous, that’s resilient.”

He stated the 2 sides mentioned the disaster within the Middle East and “we appreciate the fact that from day one India has strongly condemned the attacks of Oct. 7. And as our joint statement makes clear, India and the United States stand with Israel against terrorists.”

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated the scenario within the Middle East was a giant concern.

While India has condemned the Hamas assault on Israel, it has additionally tried to steadiness its place by saying that “India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side-by-side at peace with Israel.”

Blinken stated he additionally mentioned a diplomatic dispute that erupted when Canada alleged that India was concerned within the assassination of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

“These are two of our closest friends and partners and, of course, we want to see them resolving any differences or disputes that they have,” Blinken stated. “As a friend of both, we think it’s very important that India work with Canada on its investigation, and that they find a way to resolve this difference in a cooperative way.”

The dispute began when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated there have been “credible allegations” of Indian involvement within the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver in western Canada. India rejected the accusation.

Blinken is in Asia participating in intense diplomacy with regional companions to point out unity over Russia’s battle in Ukraine and different main points and stop present variations on Gaza from deepening.

India and the U.S. have held so-called two-plus-two talks between India’s exterior affairs and protection ministers and the U.S. secretaries of state and protection since 2018 to debate problems with concern and strengthen bilateral ties.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh mentioned a roadmap for protection industrial cooperation that may fast-track know-how cooperation and co-production in intelligence, surveillance, munitions and different areas, the Defense Department stated in a press release.

Washington expects India to be a number one safety supplier within the Indo-Pacific area.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s go to to the United States in June, the 2 sides adopted a coverage information for protection industries to allow them to provide superior protection programs collectively and collaborate on analysis and testing of prototypes.

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Associated Press author Matt Lee contributed to his story.