Jaishankar dials US Secretary of State Blinken to discuss bilateral issues

The External Affairs Minister also called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss matters as a follow-up to the annual summit between PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

There was no official word from the Ministry of External Affairs about the incident. (File Photo)

In his first phone calls to his counterparts in the new year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has spoken to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov within 24 hours.

With Blinken, they covered a range of bilateral and global issues, including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The telephonic conversation took place on Monday night, Jaishankar said.

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“A broad ranging conversation yesterday night with @SecBlinken. Covered current bilateral issues, Indo-Pacific and pressing global matters. Also exchanged New Year greetings,” the External Affairs Minister said in a tweet on Tuesday.

The talks came as India and the United States are preparing for the next edition of the “two-plus-two” foreign and defence ministerial talks.

With Lavrov, they discussed matters as a follow-up to the annual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin that took place on December 6.

“Glad to exchange New Year greetings with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov this evening,” Jaishankar tweeted on Tuesday. “Discussed the follow up of the Annual Summit and 2+2 Meeting. Agreed to remain in regular touch,” he added.

Shubhajit Roy

Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More

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