US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will pay his first trip since taking office to India, the State Department said Friday, as worries escalate about Afghanistan in a country increasingly aligned with Washington. Blinken will meet Wednesday in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar before a stop in Kuwait, the State Department said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited New Delhi as part of his first overseas trip but Blinken's travel was put on hold amid a severe outbreak of Covid-19 in the billion-plus country. India has pumped $3 billion in Afghanistan since 2001, including helping build a new parliament building, angering its historic rival Pakistan which was the primary backer of the Taliban. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Source: Mint July 23, 2021 14:15 UTC