Blinken to Talk Covid Response, Afghanistan With Modi in India

Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to India next week will focus on the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic as the South Asian nation reels from the impact of the delta variant, State Department officials said.

Blinken will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during his trip, Dean Thompson, acting assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, told reporters Friday. The meetings also will focus on India’s role in Afghanistan as U.S. troops continue to withdraw from the country, as well as collaboration on defense, cybersecurity, climate and counterterrorism, Thompson said.