Blinken, Jaishankar Meet On Sidelines Of Munich Security Conference

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar today in Munich, Germany, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. According to White House spokesperson Matthew Miller, both men discussed the recent events in the Middle East and how to bring peace and security to the region.

“Secretary Blinken and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar discussed the need to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Secretary Blinken highlighted that the respective U.S. and Indian approaches to maritime security in the Red Sea are mutually reinforcing and play important roles in safeguarding economic stability in the region. The Secretary and External Affairs Minister also discussed ongoing work to ensure lasting peace and security in the Middle East,” the White House spokesperson said.

In the meeting, the US Secretary of State also spoke about the death of Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny was found dead by Russian prison authorities in the Yamalo-Nenets region where he was serving his 19-year-long sentence.

“We’ve heard the reports from Russia of Aleksey Navalny’s death in prison. For more than a decade, Russian Government, Putin, have persecuted, poisoned, and imprisoned Aleksey Navalny, and now reports of his death. First and foremost, if these reports are accurate, our hearts go out to his wife and to his family. Beyond that, his death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built. Russia is responsible for this. We’ll be talking to many other countries concerned about Aleksey Navalny, and especially if these reports bear out to be true.”

In his response, Jaishankar did not comment on Navalny’s death but stated that both sides had much to discuss regarding the Middle East and other issues.

“I’m coming out of the Middle East, myself, been monitoring your travels and efforts there. I think it’s important today that the very complicated issues there be addressed in an effective manner and the conflict does not escalate. And, of course, a whole host of other issues – issues in this part of the world, issues in the Indo-Pacific – that we need to talk about. Very glad to have this opportunity.”