US secretary of state Antony Blinken begins his two-day India visit today

The Indian side has also indicated that it is prepared to engage with the US on issues such as human rights and democracy, which American officials have said Blinken intends to raise during his maiden visit to New Delhi after assuming office earlier this year. Blinken is the third high-ranking official of the Biden administration to travel to India after defense secretary Lloyd Austin in March and special envoy for climate change John Kerry in April.
He will meet external affairs minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday before traveling to Kuwait on the next leg of his tour. People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity on Monday that the security situation in Afghanistan will be a key issue during Blinken’s visit as the Indian side believes US support for Afghan forces over the next few months will be crucial for retaining the gains made under the democratic system in Kabul over the past 20 years.