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Blinken may travel to India for Raisina Dialogue

This will be the third annual leaders’ summit of Quad members India, Australia, Japan and the US. Tokyo played host to the last summit in May 2022…reports Reena Bhardwaj

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to India in early March and the details of his visit are being worked out, sources familiar with the deliberations told ANI.

An official said the State Department is eyeing the first week of March for Blinken’s meetings in New Delhi, which would be a run-up to President Joe Biden’s meeting with Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) leaders. “Secretary Blinken will be meeting his Indian counterpart and other officials to lay the groundwork for the upcoming Quad leaders summit in May 2023,” the source added.

This will be the third annual leaders’ summit of Quad members India, Australia, Japan and the US. Tokyo played host to the last summit in May 2022.

“The summit is expected to be held in Sydney and for now, most likely all four leaders will be present in person for the summit. President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will travel to Sydney to meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to further cement the Quad cooperation,” another person familiar with the developments told ANI.

While in India, Secretary Blinken will also be attending the Raisina Dialogue, a multilateral conference held in New Delhi on March 2-4.

Blinken is expected to address the Raisina dialogue, a conference held annually on geopolitics and geo-economics that the Observer Research Foundation, an independent think tank, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs of India hosts.

Earlier in November, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India summit in Cambodia. Jaishankar and Blinken discussed the conflict in Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region and bilateral ties between India and US.

US Secretary is also expected to travel to China in early February for continued discussions related to one of America’s most complicated and consequential relationships, however, no official announcements have been made as yet. (ANI)

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Blinken, Austin to host Japanese counterparts for security talks

The meeting between foreign ministers and defence ministers will be held two days before the meeting of US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. …reports Asian Lite News

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will co-host the 2023 US-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting with Japanese counterparts on January 11, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a press briefing on Thursday.

“Secretary Blinken and Secretary Defence Austin will co-host the 2023 U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi and Defence Minister Hamadaon on January 11 here at State Department. The U.S.-Japan alliance remains the cornerstone of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Ned Price said. Addressing a press briefing, Ned Price said that US and Japan will discuss their shared vision to tackle challenges in the Indo-Pacific and around the world. He further said that the defence and foreign ministers of US and Japan will discuss the challenges posed by North Korea.

“We face a threat and a series of challenges from the DPRK that will of course be on the agenda as well, especially as the DPRK has accelerated its provocations, may have plans for additional provocations in the days and weeks ahead,” Ned Price said.

The meeting between foreign ministers and defence ministers will be held two days before the meeting of US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement released on the White House website stated that Biden looks forward to welcoming Kishida to further strengthen ties between the two nations.

“President Biden looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan to the White House on Friday, January 13th to further deepen ties between our governments, economies, and our people,” Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Karine Jean-Pierre noted, “Over the past year, the two leaders have worked closely together to modernize the U.S.-Japan Alliance, expand our cooperation on key issues from climate change to critical technologies including through the Quad, and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific. President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida will build on these efforts.”

Furthermore, Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden and Kishida will discuss regional and global issues, North Korea’s “unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, and maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

She said that Biden will reiterate his full support for Japan’s recently released National Security Strategy, its presidency of the G7, and its term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. (ANI)

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Blinken urges flood-hit Pakistan to seek debt relief from China

Amid the ongoing devastation caused by floods across Pakistan, children are dying from cholera, an acute diarrheal illness contracted by drinking water contaminated with bacteria…reports Asian Lite News

As Pakistan is facing devastating floods, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Islamabad to seek debt relief from Beijing to deal with the natural disaster.

“We talked about the importance of managing a responsible relationship with India, and I also urged our colleagues to engage China on some of the important issues of debt relief and restructure so that Pakistan can more quickly recover from the floods,” Blinken said in Washington, as quoted by Voice of America.

“I also urged our colleagues to engage China on some of the important issues of debt relief and restructuring, so that Pakistan can more quickly recover from the floods,” he added.

Despite the efforts of the government and local and foreign relief organisations, many people are in urgent need of food and medicine in flood-hit regions despite the efforts of the government and humanitarian organisations, according to the Express Tribune.

Notably, China is a key economic and political partner of Pakistan. The US whose Cold War alliance with Islamabad has repeatedly charged that China will reap the benefits while Pakistan will face unsustainable debt.

But China has faced concerns about security following a series of attacks including a suicide bombing in April on a minibus from a Chinese cultural programme that killed four people, three of them Chinese, as per the media reports.

Amid the ongoing devastation caused by floods across Pakistan, children are dying from cholera, an acute diarrheal illness contracted by drinking water contaminated with bacteria.

According to CNN, more than 10 children are dying every day at the Mother and Child Healthcare Hospital in Pakistan’s Sindh province alone, according to doctors at the facility from Cholera which is a water-related ailment that stemmed from devastating floods in the South-Asian country.

Balochistan and Sindh have been attacked by numerous infections that caused devastation in the two provinces. The stagnant floodwaters have led to widespread cases of skin and eye infections, diarrhoea, malaria, typhoid and dengue fever across numerous provinces in Pakistan, triggering health threats to people in Pakistan.

“The floods came and the rain fell. And then our patients came in like the floods,” said Dr. Nazia Urooj, the physician in charge of the hospital’s children’s emergency unit, CNN reported.

The number of malaria cases in the country had gone up to 229. (ANI)

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Blinken kicks off Africa tour to counter Russian influence

Blinken (Picture Credits: Twitter/Blinken)

Blinken and Pandor will “discuss ongoing and recent developments relating to the global geopolitical situation,” a South African government statement said…reports Asian Lite News

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in South Africa on Sunday, kicking off a three-nation tour of Africa.

His visit comes as the West and Russia vie for support from African countries over the war in Ukraine.

South Africa has maintained a neutral stance on the war and has refrained from joining Western countries in publicly condemning Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

What is on Blinken’s agenda?

On Sunday, Blinken visited the Hector Pieterson memorial in Soweto township, which commemorates the 170 school students killed during an anti-apartheid uprising in 1976.

The secretary of state is expected to hold talks with his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor, on Monday, before outlining the United States’ strategies for sub-Saharan Africa in a major policy speech at the University of Pretoria.

Blinken and Pandor will “discuss ongoing and recent developments relating to the global geopolitical situation,” a South African government statement said.

Africa has been hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic as well as rising food and fuel prices triggered by Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

Blinken is also scheduled to visit Congo and Rwanda later in the week. It is his second trip to the continent since his appointment early last year and follows recent Africa tours by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron.

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Kin of slain Al Jazeera journalist meets Blinken

Soon after the meeting, Lina said that the family was still waiting to see if the Joe Biden administration “will meaningfully answer our calls for Justice for Shireen.”…reports Asian Lite News

The family of slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on Tuesday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to demand justice for the killing of the Al Jazeera reporter during an Israeli raid in the West Bank, it was reported.

“Today I met with the family of slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, whose fearless journalism earned her the respect of audiences around the world. I expressed my deepest condolences and commitment to pursue accountability for her tragic killing,” Blinken tweeted after the meeting.

Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Blinken would reiterate the need for accountability.

Lina Abu Akleh, Shireen Abu Akleh’s niece, posted a video on Twitter from outside the State Department saying that she and other family members “are here to demand justice for Shireen.”

Soon after the meeting, Lina said that the family was still waiting to see if the Joe Biden administration “will meaningfully answer our calls for Justice for Shireen.”

“Secretary Blinken told us that he has a duty to protect every US citizen. We will hold him to this. Nothing short of a US investigation that leads to real accountability is acceptable, and we won’t stop until no other American or Palestinian family endures the same pain we have.”

“We expressed to Secretary Blinken how important it was to meet with President Biden. A meeting with him will demonstrate to our family that Shireen’s case is a priority for this administration. Since he didn’t meet with us in Jerusalem, we came to DC. We need him to hear from us directly.”

“He (Blinken) committed to transparency with our family going forward, and we expect to be consulted and updated every step of the way,” she added.

Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the town of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

The State Department said this month that Abu Akleh was likely killed by gunfire from Israeli positions but that it was probably unintentional, citing an investigation by the US Security Coordinator.

Her family and Palestinian officials have criticised the US report and maintained she was deliberately targeted. Israel denies this.

“We will pursue accountability for her murder wherever it may take us,” said a statement on Twitter from Lina, Shireen’s brother Tony and nephew Victor. “Shireen lived to uncover the truth behind every story, and so shall we.”

The family had accused the United States of providing impunity for Israel over her killing. They unsuccessfully requested a meeting with President Joe Biden in person during his trip to Israel this month, it was reported.

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-Top News USA

Blinken to meet Wang Yi in Bali

US officials hope the meeting could bring stability to the US-China ties as tensions over the Taiwan issue escalate between the two powers, according to the Washington Post…reports Asian Lite News

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali this week, the State Department said on Tuesday.

Blinken will travel to Bali, Indonesia, and Bangkok, Thailand, from July 6-11. Bali hosts the G20 summit on July 7-8.

“In addition to attending G20-related engagements, the Secretary will hold a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Among other bilateral engagements, Secretary Blinken will also meet with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the G20,” the State Department said.

Blinken and Wang will discuss Ukraine, The Washington Post reported.

This comes amid reports that US President Joe Biden could lift the tariff on some Chinese imports in an effort to slow down the soaring rates of inflation.

The Biden administration is wrapping up a mandatory review of tariffs on Chinese imports, which were earlier imposed by former President Donald Trump. Biden has on several occasions postponed plans to cut tariffs due to policy disagreements among his own senior aides and Cabinet secretaries.

US officials hope the meeting could bring stability to the US-China ties as tensions over the Taiwan issue escalate between the two powers, according to the Washington Post.

“A key goal of the meeting will be to reinforce guardrails on the relationship so that our competition does not spill over into miscalculation or confrontation,” said one of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a meeting prior to its announcement. “I think there’s no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy, and now is the right time.”

The meeting would focus in part on the war in Ukraine, providing Blinken with a chance to relay US concerns about China’s deepening relationship with Moscow, the report added.

Beijing has urged an end to the fighting but has not participated in the sanctions imposed on Russia.

This year’s G20 Indonesia gathering represents a challenge for the West as they seek to advance a global agenda on food and energy security while isolating Russia. (ANI)

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Saudi minister, Blinken affirm ‘common vision’ on Iran

They also reviewed developments the Kingdom is witnessing within the framework of its Vision 2030, commending the cooperation and dialogue between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs…reports Asian Lite News

Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has met here with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During the meeting, they reviewed the strategic and historical relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America and ways to strengthen them.

The efforts being made concerning the Yemeni issue and its latest developments were also discussed, as the Deputy Minister of Defense, currently on a visit to the United States of America, affirmed the Kingdom-led coalition’ support of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council and its supporting entities, and the Kingdom’s aspirations for the Yemenis to reach a comprehensive political solution that would move Yemen to peace and development.

Also, the Deputy Minister of Defense stressed that, despite the positiveness of the announced truce to a large extent, there is an important role that the United Nations and the international community must play to put pressure on Houthi militias to open Taiz roads, deposit the revenues of Hodeida port and engage seriously in peace efforts to move Yemen to security, stability, construction and prosperity.

The two sides also affirmed the two countries’ common vision to confront Iran’s destabilizing policies in the region, which includes security and diplomatic coordination between the two friendly countries to confront Iranian threats, including dealing with Iran’s nuclear file and its program to develop ballistic missiles as well as its sponsorship of terrorism. The Deputy Minister of Defense also met with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman.

https://twitter.com/irinatsukerman_/status/1528043499291033601

During the meeting, they discussed a number of files of common interest, mutual coordination and continuous cooperation between the two friendly countries to achieve support for efforts in maintaining security, peace and stability in the region and the world. They also reviewed developments the Kingdom is witnessing within the framework of its Vision 2030, commending the cooperation and dialogue between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.

Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense voiced his welcome to the US side’s affirmation of the Kingdom’s support in developing its military capabilities and meeting its defense needs. The meeting was attended by Princess Rima bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States of America; the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber and a number of senior Saudi and US officials.

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Blinken invites Bilawal Bhutto to US

Exchanging views on various aspects of bilateral relations, Bilawal Bhutto underscored that Pakistan and the US have a longstanding broad-based relationship…reports Asian Lite News

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a maiden telephone call to Pakistan’s newly-appointed Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and extended an invitation to the latter to visit Washington this month, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

During the telephonic conversation, Secretary Blinken congratulated his Pakistani counterpart on the assumption of his office and expressed the desire to continue strengthening the mutually beneficial Pakistan-US bilateral relationship, Geo News quoted the statement as saying.

“An invitation was also extended by the Secretary of State for Pakistan’s participation in the Ministerial meeting on Global Food Security to be held in New York on May 18.”

Building on the Pakistan-US cooperation in dealing with the pandemic during the last two years, Blinken also invited Pakistan to the Second Global Covid Summit to be held virtually later this month.

Exchanging views on various aspects of bilateral relations, Bilawal Bhutto underscored that Pakistan and the US have a longstanding broad-based relationship.

He added that constructive and sustained engagement between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest was vital to promote peace, development and security in the region and beyond, Geo News reported.

Bilawal Bhutto emphasised that Pakistan’s vision was focused on human development, regional connectivity, and a peaceful neighbourhood.

Both the leaders agreed to remain in contact and enhance engagement on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

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Blinken arrives in Morocco for visit

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Rabat, capital of Morocco, for a visit to the North African country…reports Asian Lite News

During his visit, Blinken will meet with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and other senior government officials to exchange views on regional issues and bilateral cooperation, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the US Department of State.

He will also meet in Rabat Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss regional security and international developments before leaving for Algeria on Wednesday, according to the statement.

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Blinken in Israel for landmark Arab talks

The war “will only continue to increase the price of basic staples like bread in the region, taking money from the pockets of the hardest working and most vulnerable families,” she said…reports Asian Lite News

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel Sunday for a “historic” meeting with Arab countries which have normalized relations with the Jewish state in the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

Blinken, who arrived in Tel Aviv Saturday evening, will meet with his counterparts from Israel, Morocco, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the Negev desert Sunday and Monday to mark the shift in Arab-Israeli relations that began in late 2020.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described it as a “historic summit.”

Blinken’s visit, the first stop in a trip that will also take him to the West Bank, Algeria and Morocco — where he will hold talks with the UAE’s ruler, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed — is focused in part on building support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

US officials say two other key issues are on the agenda for the trip: quelling the Jewish state’s worries about a looming nuclear deal with Iran, and discussing the potential global wheat shortage caused by the Ukraine war that could deal a heavy blow to the import-dependent Middle East.

“We know this pain is keenly felt in the Middle East and North Africa, where most countries import at least half of their wheat,” much of it from Ukraine, State Department Acting Assistant Secretary Yael Lempert said ahead of the trip.

The war “will only continue to increase the price of basic staples like bread in the region, taking money from the pockets of the hardest working and most vulnerable families,” she said.

The trip comes as the US and Iran are in the final stages of negotiating a revival of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which aimed to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons capacity.

The administration of former US president Donald Trump quit the deal unilaterally in 2018 and reimposed punishing economic sanctions, and Iran has since resumed many of its sensitive nuclear activities.

The conclusion of a renewed accord could come in a matter of “days,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is coordinating talks with Tehran, said Saturday.

“We are very close but there are still some issues pending,” Borrell told reporters on the sidelines of the Doha Forum in Qatar.

His comments came as the EU diplomat chairing the Vienna talks on the deal, Enrique Mora, was due in Tehran.

US officials say reaching a deal hinges on one or two key issues, but that Tehran has to make “difficult choices” if it wants an agreement.

But the possible deal worries Israel and US allies in the Gulf, who see Iran as a menace.

In February, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he was “deeply troubled” by the prospect of a new nuclear deal, which Israel fears would not prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Ahead of the talks, Bennett sent a rare message to regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, expressing “sorrow” over a wave of attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels on Friday that hit targets including an oil plant near the Formula One race in Jeddah.

“This attack is further proof that Iran’s regional aggression knows no bounds,” Bennett wrote on Twitter late Saturday.

Blinken will also meet Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Palestinians remain concerned that they are being forgotten in the US-backed push for Arab governments to boost relations with Israel and focus on Iran as their principal threat.

The Trump administration slashed support for the Palestinians and closed the US consulate in Jerusalem dedicated to Palestinian relations.

Biden promised to reopen the consulate, but a year into his administration that move has not come.

The consulate issue “will certainly be a topic of discussion,” Lempert said.

After Israel, Blinken will travel to Morocco and Algeria to talk about regional security and the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which has divided the two neighbors.

Also in Morocco, he will hold talks with the UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed, who has become a major political force in the region.

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