US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in India, to hold talks with leaders tomorrow

"A partnership anchored in shared values, mutual interests and goodwill," India said welcoming the US Secretary of State.

The visit comes amid a rapidly evolving security situation in Afghanistan.

Just before leaving for Delhi, Blinken said he was looking forward to consultations with US' partners for further cooperation in support of shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East.

Blinken tweeted: "Wheels up for my trip to New Delhi and Kuwait City. I look forward to consultations with our partners to further cooperation in support of our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East."

On Wednesday, he will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

"Secretary Blinken's visit is an opportunity to continue the high-level bilateral dialogue and bolster the India-US global strategic partnership," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement.

Both sides will review the robust and multifaceted India-US bilateral relations, and potential for consolidating them further.

"Discussions will focus on regional and global issues of mutual interest – including recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indo-Pacific region, Afghanistan and cooperation in the UN," the statement had added.