Jaishankar, Blinken hold bilateral talks ahead of Quad foreign ministers meet in Tokyo

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday (July 28) held "wide-ranging" talks with his American counterpart Antony Blinken against the backdrop of an unease in India-US ties following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia three weeks back.

Both Jaishankar and Blinken are in Tokyo to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of four-nation grouping Quad or Quadrilateral coalition.

The talks between the external affairs minister and the US secretary of state also came amid Washington consistently seeking accountability from New Delhi in the case relating to the alleged foiled plot to kill Sikh extremist Gurupatwant Singh Pannun in New York.

Agenda not clear

It is not immediately clear whether Prime Minister Modi's visit to Russia and the murder-for-hire plot figured in the Jaishankar-Blinken talks.

In a post on 'X', Jaishankar said he and Blinken had a wide-ranging discussion on regional and global issues. "Great to catch up with @SecBlinken in Tokyo today," he said. "Our bilateral agenda progresses steadily. Also had a wide ranging discussion on regional and global issues," Jaishankar added.

It is learnt that the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the overall situation in Gaza figured in the talks.

The US and several of its allies were outraged over the timing of Modi's July 8 to 9 visit to Moscow as it coincided with the NATO summit in Washington. Some Western capitals were also learnt to be peeved over Modi choosing Russia for his first bilateral trip in his third term.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told a US Congressional hearing on Tuesday that the US was disappointed by the "symbolism" and "timing" of Modi's visit to Russia.

Modi’s Russia visit

The Biden administration official especially highlighted that the Indian prime minister paid the visit to Moscow when Washington was hosting a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

New Delhi on Thursday rejected Lu's comments and asserted that all countries have the "freedom of choice" in a multipolar world and everyone should be mindful of such realities.

Meanwhile, India and Ukraine are planning a visit to Kyiv by the Indian prime minister next month.

The India-US ties also came under some unease following the alleged murder-for-hire plot.

Pannun ‘murder plot’

In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun in New York.

Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.

Gupta, who was arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, was extradited to the US last month.

Following the allegations by the US, India appointed a high-level inquiry committee to look into the inputs provided by the US on the plot.

In April, The Washington Post named an Indian official for the alleged plot.

(With agency inputs)