Antony Blinken meets Jaishankar: Afghanistan, India-US ties on table

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a 2-day visit to India, on Wednesday met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Blinken stressed on the need for "cooperation among countries than ever before". He also said that US President Joe Biden is determined to strengthen India-US ties.

Ahead of the talks, Blinken reaffirmed the rule of law and fundamental freedoms including freedom of religion as being the bedrock of democracies like India and the US.

Blinken earlier in the day met representatives of civil society organization in Delhi.

"US & India share a commitment to democratic values; this is part of the bedrock of our relationship & reflective of India’s pluralistic society," he tweeted.

US Secretary of State also met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and discussed various bilateral issues including the situation in Afghanistan, reports said.