‘Democracy, rights regular part of conversation’: Blinken on India under PM Modi

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday praised India’s impressive achievements under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing it as an “extraordinary success story.”
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, “We see the remarkable achievements that PM Modi has achieved,” Blinken said, highlighting the positive trajectory of India’s growth and development.
The top American diplomat underlined the dedication and deliberate efforts of both Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden in taking the relationship between the two countries to new heights.
“The relationship between our countries is in a new place, at a new level. That has been the very deliberate effort of both Prime Minister (Modi) and President Biden who believes in this deeply,” Blinken affirmed, underscoring the commitment of the leaders of both nations to strengthen the ties between the United States and India.
Asked to comment on the “worry about runaway Hindu nationalism”, Secretary Blinken stressed that these topics are a constant and regular part of the diplomatic dialogue between the United States and India.
“At the same time, a constant regular part of our conversation is the conversation about democracy, about rights,” Blinken added.
“When President (Biden) took office, he wanted to make sure that we put back into our foreign policy these fundamental concerns about democracy and about human rights. We do it in different ways in different places. In some places may be it is more overt, more vocal. Another is because of the nature of the relationship we may have with the country, it’s part of a very sustained very real conversation that produces positive change. That’s the case with India.”
On the ongoing war in Gaza, Blinken said that Israel cannot achieve “genuine security” without a pathway to a Palestinian state, insisting such a move could help unify the Middle East and isolate Israel’s top rival: Iran. He said the view of leaders in the Arab and Muslim world have changed on Israel and the creation of a Palestinian state would help Israel integrate in the region.
“The problem is getting from here to there, and of course, it requires very difficult, challenging decisions. It requires a mindset that is open to that perspective,” Blinken said.