Key Points
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the latter arrives to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, at RBCC in New Delhi, Thursday, March 2, 2023..
US SECRETARY of State Antony Blinken said Washington regularly discussed the issues pertaining to democracy and human rights, including freedom of religion and freedom of expression, with New Delhi, and they discussed it on Thursday as well during his meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar..
Responding to questions on rising concerns of backsliding of democracy in India, human rights violations against religious minorities and actions against the BBC, Blinken said, We are the worlds biggest democracies..
And we have to continue to hold ourselves to our core values, including respect for universal human rights, like freedom of religion and belief, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, which makes our democracy stronger...
On FCRA cancellations and suspensions of NGOs, he said, We have taken up these questions in the past and weve discussed the importance of NGOs and civil society being able to function effectively and freely wherever they are, in our own country and here in Indiaso when these issues come up, related to NGOs, weve discussed them directly with our Indian counterparts...
