During his visit to New Delhi, India from October 12-14, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E. Biegun delivered keynote remarks at the India-U.S. Forum and met with senior Indian government officials ahead of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue later this year.
At the India-U.S. Forum, Deputy Secretary Stephen Biegun joined Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla to underscore the importance of the U.S.-India partnership, particularly in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. The Deputy Secretary emphasized the work of the Quad toward a region protected and made prosperous in equal measure by strong and peaceful nations in the Indo-Pacific. Deputy Secretary Biegun also underscored enhanced cooperation among the Quad to create resilient supply chains, promote transparency, and increase maritime security, topics most recently discussed in the October 6 meeting of Foreign Ministers attended by Secretary of State Pompeo.
In his meetings with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla, and Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar, the Deputy Secretary discussed U.S. efforts to work with India and like-minded partners on a range of issues including regional security, economic cooperation, and coordinated efforts to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While in New Delhi, Deputy Secretary Biegun also met with Bhutanese Ambassador to India Major General Vetsop Namgyel to reaffirm the United States' close relationship with the people of Bhutan.
