Jaishankar, Blinken discuss bilateral ties, Ukraine conflict on sidelines of G-20 event

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday (February 2) held bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken focusing on bilateral ties and pressing global issues including the Ukraine conflict.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the India-hosted G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in the national capital.

“Pleased to meet US Secretary of State @SecBlinken on #G20FMM sidelines. Opportunity to review bilateral ties and discuss global issues,” Jaishankar tweeted.

It is understood that the Ukraine conflict and India’s agenda for the G20 figured in the talks.

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Blinken arrived in the national capital on Wednesday night to attend the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting that took place amid a bitter rift between the West and the Russia-China combine over the Ukraine conflict.

Blinken is set to attend a Quad foreign ministers meeting on Friday.

After attending the first session of the G20 meeting Blinken tweeted: “I went to the #G20 today with two imperatives: First, to ensure that the G20 — with India at the helm — advances our shared goals, and second, to demonstrate how the US, together with our partners, is acting to meet the needs of the world. We succeeded at both.”

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The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies.

The members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).

(With inputs from agencies)