Secretary of State Harsh Vardhan Shringla met US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh
Washington:
Daleep Singh, the top adviser to the Indian-American US and a key architect of Washington’s economic sanctions against Moscow, has had productive talks with his Indian counterparts, the White House said Thursday.
Singh was in India on March 30 and 31 to discuss the consequences of Russia’s “unjustified war” against Ukraine and the development of an Indo-Pacific economic framework.
“Daleep Singh, the deputy national security adviser for international economics, had really good discussions with his colleagues. And I know the conversation was productive,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield told reporters during her daily press conference.
In a separate press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ned Price said in response to a question about the Russian foreign minister’s visit to India that each country has its own relationship.
“Different countries will have their own relationship with the Russian Federation. It’s a historical fact. It’s a fact of geography. That’s not something we’re trying to change. What we’re trying to do, whether in the context of India or other partners and allies around the world, is to do everything possible to ensure that the international community speaks with one voice,” he said.
Speaking loudly against this unwarranted, unprovoked, premeditated aggression, calls for an end to the violence, using the leverage countries including India have to do so. There are countries that, because of their long-standing relations with the Russian Federation, will in some ways have even more influence than countries closer to us,” he said.
“That’s all well and good. We understand that. What we’re asking, what we’re advocating is that all countries use the leverage they have to make sure that message gets through loud and clear to Vladimir Putin.” said Mr Price.
He refrained from directly answering the question about the rupee-ruble trade between India and Russia.
“I would refer to our Indian partners when it comes to such a rupee-rouble conversion that may have been discussed. When it comes to the Quad, one of the core tenets of the Quad is the idea of a free and open Indo- Pacific That’s specific in that context to the Indo-Pacific. But these are principles, these are ideals that transcend any geographic region,” he said.
“And part of the reason these four countries came together is that we have a global interest in a world order that’s free, that’s open, where countries big and small abide by the rules. So it’s not in us.” It is It is not in the interest of Japan It is not in the interest of Australia or it is not in the interest of India to see blatant examples of countries either in Europe or in the Indo-Pacific or somewhere in between, blatant examples of countries doing this and violating rules-based international order,” Price said.
“That’s something that the Quad will continue to stand for. It’s something that has also come up in recent joint statements from the quad, and something that I don’t think will change,” he said.
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