Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Before Their Meeting

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  And it’s very good to have my friend and colleague, Foreign Secretary Jaishankar, here with us today.  Before I speak to this meeting, let me just say this.

A few hours ago, Iran – for the second time in a space of five months – launched a direct attack on Israel, including some 200 ballistic missiles.  This is totally unacceptable, and the entire world should condemn it.

Initial reports suggest that Israel, with the active support of the United States and other partners, effectively defeated this attack.  We have demonstrated, once again, our commitment to Israel’s defense.  We’ll remain in very close touch with Israel and other partners in the region in the hours and days ahead.

On a happier note, let me say what a pleasure it is to welcome my friend here.  I think we’ve seen, just in recent weeks once again, the incredible vibrancy, strength behind the partnership that joins the United States and India.  We had Prime Minister Modi here and actually in Wilmington, Delaware for the Quad meeting as well as a bilateral meeting with President Biden.

The warmth of that meeting, the ambition in the relationship, is at a level we’ve never seen before.  And I think it’s a reflection of the value that both countries attach to this partnership – a partnership in so many different areas, including strategic technology sectors, including space, including semiconductors, including clean energy, where our countries increasingly are working together and creating new opportunities for people in both India and the United States but also more broadly than that around the world.  And of course, the critical role that India plays on the global stage, working for peace, working for stability, working for security – here as well we’re doing more and more together.

So coming off of the UN General Assembly, coming off of the meetings that we had with the Quad and bilaterally, this is a good opportunity for us to take stock of the many issues that we’re working together – working together in a way that betters the lives of our own people and I think makes a positive contribution to the world.

And with that, welcome.

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER JAISHANKAR:  Thank you, Tony.  Let me also say it’s been – it’s a great pleasure to be back in Washington, back at the department.  And let me begin by thanking you for a great meeting between the prime minister and the President in Delaware, for a very, very good Quad meeting.  I think it gave us an opportunity to take stock of the many areas where that mechanism has progressed.

And I look forward to my discussions today.  I think on the bilateral side there’s a lot that we’ve done since our last meeting, but there are global issues to discuss, including some of the events you mentioned today.  So I look forward to a good conversation.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.  Thanks, everyone.