Extraordinary success story: Blinken hails India at Davos

Davos, January 17

Describing India as an “extraordinary success story”, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said the “remarkable achievements” of the Modi government have materially benefitted and positively impacted so many Indian lives.

Speaking here at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024, he also said the US-India relations have reached a new high with efforts from both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden.

At the same time, a regular part of the conversation between the two countries has been about democracy and rights, Blinken said.

“It’s part of a very sustained, very real conversation and a conversation we hope produces positive change and that’s the case with India,” he said. He was replying to a question on whether the rise of Hindu nationalism in India concerns the US despite the country’s robust economic growth and infrastructure building under the Modi regime.

Talking about how he and the US look at India, Blinken said, “We see an extraordinary success story and see the remarkable achievements that PM Modi has achieved under his watch.” “We also see the relationship between our two countries that has reached a new level and that I think has been a very deliberate effort on part of both PM Modi and President Biden to position it so,” he added. — PTI

Palestinian state must for security

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the need for a “pathway to a Palestinian state” while addressing the media at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, saying Israel would not “get genuine security absent that”
• If Israel can be brought into the fold of the Middle East, Blinken said, the region would be coming together to isolate Iran, which he called “the biggest concern in terms of security,” as well as its proxies