Foreign Secretary Shringla and Under Secretary of State Nuland noted the close cooperation between their two delegations at UNSC and reiterated their desire to intensify cooperation in multilateral fora and international organisations, including the UN.
New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla and the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, co-chaired India-US Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on Monday, March 21. The Ukraine issue figured prominently in the discussions.
"Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Following up on the Quad Leaders' Meetings, they expressed a keen desire to implement quickly the Quad's positive and constructive agenda to deliver for countries in the Indo-Pacific region," an MEA statement said.
Following up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's discussions with President Joseph R. Biden in Washington DC in September 2021, the two sides reviewed progress in various domains under the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Both sides welcomed regular high-level dialogue and engagement, including productive meetings of bilateral mechanisms, which led to
intensifying cooperation across all pillars of the bilateral agenda.
The Foreign Office Consultations provided a valuable opportunity to discuss contemporary regional issues pertaining to South Asia, the
Indo-Pacific region, West Asia, and the situation in Ukraine, among others, the release said.
Foreign Secretary Shringla and Under Secretary of State Nuland agreed to maintain regular dialogue and consultations on regional issues.
"Given their shared democratic values and convergences of strategic interests, Foreign Secretary Shringla and Under Secretary Nuland agreed to work together to strengthen the India-US global partnership regarding supply chains, critical technologies, health security, climate actions & clean energy and terrorism," it said.
Both sides also noted the close cooperation between their two delegations at the UN Security Council, where India is currently a
non-permanent member, and reiterated their desire to intensify cooperation in multilateral fora and international organisations,
including the UN.
Both sides looked forward to the India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Meeting in Washington DC. They agreed to hold the next round of consultations at a mutually convenient date in Washington, DC, MEA stated.
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