India among "our closest partners" Blinken tells Jaishankar ahead of ASEAN meeting

CAMBODIA: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Cambodia ahead of the ASEAN ministerial meeting on Thursday, said that New Delhi is among Washington's "closest partners".

Both Blinken and Jaishankar are in Cambodia to attend the ASEAN ministerial meeting.

In a statement issued by the Department of State, Blinken said that it is an opportunity for both the leaders to compare notes on various mutual interest areas including the free and open Indo-Pacific and Sri Lanka crisis.

"Taking part in the ASEAN meetings is the opportunity for us to get together and compare notes with our closest partners, starting with my longtime friend, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar," Blinken said in the statement.

"This is an opportunity for us to compare notes as we head into these very important ASEAN meetings. We're both strong proponents of ASEAN centrality. We have a shared vision together for a free and open Indo-Pacific that we work on in so many different ways every single day," the US Secretary of State said further.

I met with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar today in Phnom Penh to discuss the implications of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and Sri Lanka’s economic and political situation. pic.twitter.com/I0Hr4MC066

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 4, 2022

He also noted several challenges in Sri Lanka and Burma.

"We have some immediate challenges that we're both concerned with including the situation in Sri Lanka, Burma and a number of other hotspots. So I very much look forward to once again being able to go through a number of these issues with my friend, and then we'll both head over to the meetings," he said in the statement.

ALSO READ | Jaishankar, Blinken discuss pressing global issues

Meanwhile, Jaishankar told Blinken: "Always good to meet. There's a lot we need to talk about and it is actually been a very busy year, we had a very good Quad and since then I think a number of developments all over the world..."

A warm conversation to start meetings on sidelines of ASEAN Ministerial in Phnom Penh.

Discussed the ever strengthening India-US relationship and the global situation with US Secretary of State @SecBlinken. pic.twitter.com/JzcrBSklx4

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 4, 2022

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 

CAMBODIA: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Cambodia ahead of the ASEAN ministerial meeting on Thursday, said that New Delhi is among Washington's "closest partners". Both Blinken and Jaishankar are in Cambodia to attend the ASEAN ministerial meeting. In a statement issued by the Department of State, Blinken said that it is an opportunity for both the leaders to compare notes on various mutual interest areas including the free and open Indo-Pacific and Sri Lanka crisis. "Taking part in the ASEAN meetings is the opportunity for us to get together and compare notes with our closest partners, starting with my longtime friend, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar," Blinken said in the statement. "This is an opportunity for us to compare notes as we head into these very important ASEAN meetings. We're both strong proponents of ASEAN centrality. We have a shared vision together for a free and open Indo-Pacific that we work on in so many different ways every single day," the US Secretary of State said further. I met with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar today in Phnom Penh to discuss the implications of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and Sri Lanka’s economic and political situation. pic.twitter.com/I0Hr4MC066 — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 4, 2022 He also noted several challenges in Sri Lanka and Burma. "We have some immediate challenges that we're both concerned with including the situation in Sri Lanka, Burma and a number of other hotspots. So I very much look forward to once again being able to go through a number of these issues with my friend, and then we'll both head over to the meetings," he said in the statement. ALSO READ | Jaishankar, Blinken discuss pressing global issues Meanwhile, Jaishankar told Blinken: "Always good to meet. There's a lot we need to talk about and it is actually been a very busy year, we had a very good Quad and since then I think a number of developments all over the world..." A warm conversation to start meetings on sidelines of ASEAN Ministerial in Phnom Penh. Discussed the ever strengthening India-US relationship and the global situation with US Secretary of State @SecBlinken. pic.twitter.com/JzcrBSklx4 — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 4, 2022 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.