Blinken to Visit India, Kuwait Next Week

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled travel to India and Kuwait next week, the State Department said on Friday.

The United States regard India as an important partner in efforts to stand up to China’s increasingly assertive behavior.

Blinken’s trip will follow a visit by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to China and coincide with one to Southeast Asia by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

On Wednesday, Blinken is going to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

The two leaders will discuss “Indo-Pacific engagement, shared regional security interests, shared democratic values, and addressing the climate crisis” as well as the response to the coronavirus pandemic, a statement said.

India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, was subsequently hit by a catastrophic wave of COVID-19 infections and halted vaccine exports amid intense criticism of Modi’s domestic vaccination efforts.

Accordingly, Washington sent raw materials for vaccines, medical equipment and protective gear to India after the spike.

India expects to receive 3-4 million doses of U.S.-made vaccines by August.

“(India) is such a critical country in the fight against COVID-19,” Blinken told MSNBC on Friday, explaining that India would eventually become a vital source of vaccines to the world.

“Of course, they’re focused understandably on their own internal challenges now, but when that production engine gets fully going and can distribute again to the rest of the world, that’s going to make a big difference.”

In the same vein, the top U.S. diplomat will visit Kuwait and meet senior officials there at the end of the July 26-29 trip.