India and the United States have decided to strengthen bilateral ties, with the Quad security grouping and the Indo-Pacific region taking precedence, and Washington expressing support for New Delhi’s stance on health security, Afghanistan, and transgressions on its borders, among other issues.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s first official physical interaction with his counterpart and the US national security team, according to diplomats in Washington and New Delhi, resulted in assurances from the Joe Biden administration on India’s concerns about Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific.
In the wake of the United States withdrawing its forces from the strife-torn Islamic Republic, the two sides discussed the security situation in Afghanistan in depth.
In light of the Taliban’s violence, the US appears to have assured Jaishankar that, while its military will leave Afghanistan in October, the Biden administration will keep a close eye on the Af-Pak region to ensure that the security situation does not worsen.
The visiting minister was also assured by the US national security team that if things in Afghanistan went wrong, they would be dealt with appropriately. The Taliban want to turn the Islamic Republic into an Emirate, with Sunni Pashtuns enforcing Sharia law over other ethnic groups.
Jaishankar was also assured of support for India’s vaccine programme and vaccine raw materials during his meeting with Biden administration officials. The US has stated that it will do everything possible to assist India in achieving health security, according to the diplomats.
“The Biden administration has gone a step ahead of the Trump administration in supporting India whether it be on Indo-Pacific, Defence Cooperation or health security,” said a senior Washington-based diplomat.
Diplomats from the United States, India, Japan, and Australia will work out an elaborate agenda to define the Quad grouping before the physical summit this fall. This includes QUAD partners cooperating in areas such as the economy, technology, disaster relief, and building resilient supply chains, all while keeping an eye on the Indo-changing Pacific’s security situation.
