'At a time of democratic recession, it's vital that US, India stand together'

At a time of rising global threats to democracy and international freedoms we talk about a democratic recession its vital that we two worldleading democracies continue to stand together in support of these ideals US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saidOn the first day of his visit to India Blinken while addressing civil society representatives said Here in India that includes the free media independent courts a vibrant and free and fair electoral system the largest expression of free political will by citizens anywhere in the worldWe also know that successful democracies include thriving civil societies Thats how citizens become more fully engaged in the life of their communities Its how we organize and provide the resources to respond to emergencies And weve seen people and organizations come together throughout Covid19 in creative and incredibly generous ways and civil society is also where were able to build meaningful connections across our social religious and cultural differences Blinken saidIn short if we want to make our democracies more open more inclusive more resilient more equitable we need a vibrant civil society he added And Im really here to underscore the importance of the relationships between our countries to try to deepen our ties and extend our cooperation I think its hard to find countries with more who do more together in more different areas than with the United States and India Blinken saidAlso Read US State Secy Antony Blinken lands in New Delhi on twoday India visitWhen you put it all together the relationship between our countries is one of the most important in the world And I think thats because not only is it a relationship between governments when were working between our governments but critically its through relationships between the Indian and the American people Were connected in so many different ways business ties university ties religious and spiritual ties and of course millions of family ties Blinken saidBlinken also announced that the US will be contributing more than 200 million dollars worth of Covid19 assistance I am pleased to announce that the United States government will send additional 25 million dollars to support vaccination efforts across India Blinken announced during a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar This funding will contribute to saving a life by strengthening vaccine supply chain logistics addressing misinformation vaccine hesitancy and helping to train more health care workers We are determined to end this pandemic in India and the United States We will work to do it he addedNoting that the Covid19 pandemic hit both the US and India very hard Blinken said We remember with gratitude and will not forget the aid and assistance India provided to us early in the pandemic I am proud we could return the gesture to India Jaishankar said India has acknowledged the US efforts to keep the vaccine raw material supply chain open We discussed the need for global availability of affordable vaccines We hope the US would take a sympathetic view of Indian travellers Jaishankar said adding that they will continue to work together on vaccine availability and production Jaishankar and Blinken discussed a wide range of issues including Afghanistan during the meetingIndia and US share a strong interest in peaceful secure and stable Afghanistan As a credible partner in the region India has and will continue to make a vital contribution to Afghanistans stability and development Blinken said He assured that the US and India will continue to work together to sustain the gains of the Afghan people We will continue to work together to sustain the gains of the Afghan people and support regional stability after the withdrawal of coalition forces from the country Afghanistan he said Blinken will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later todayUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken commenced his India visit with an address to civil society leaders Attendees included religious leaders such as Geshe Dorji Damdul of New Delhis Tibet House a cultural centre of the Dalai LamaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever