'US must respect India's right to defend itself'

Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that the United States must respect India's right to defend itself and maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. He differentiated US relations with India and Pakistan, describing the former as fundamentally different from the latter, which is regional. Blinken emphasized that India is a global force and the US-India relationship is fundamentally global in nature, while the US-Pakistan relationship remains regional.

He stressed that the US must support India's efforts to respond to attacks and prevent escalation between New Delhi and Islamabad, given the destructive potential of the weapons both countries possess. Blinken also highlighted the transformation of US-India relations over the past few decades from estrangement to a strategic partnership, built on shared interests and people-to-people connections.

He identified cooperation in emerging technologies as an important area for the two countries, including collaboration in space, quantum technology, and artificial intelligence. Blinken emphasized the need to prevent a wider regional conflict in West Asia, including the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, and discussed the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz.