National Security Advisor Ajit Doval engaged in a phone call on Friday with his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan, amid signs of strain in India-US relations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that Doval and Sullivan emphasized the necessity of collective efforts to tackle global peace and security challenges and to further develop the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
The MEA also stated that the two national security advisors committed to closely collaborating to strengthen India-US ties, which are grounded in shared values and mutual strategic and security interests.
"They discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral, regional, and international concern and forthcoming high-level engagements under the Quad framework to be held in July 2024 and later in the year," the MEA's statement read.
This conversation occurred a day after US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, appeared critical of India's relationship with Russia. At an event in Delhi on Thursday, Garcetti stressed that India and the US must uphold democratic principles when other nations violate the rules-based order.
"I know...and I respect that India likes its strategic autonomy. But in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy. We will, in crisis moments, need to know each other. I don't care what title we put to it, but we will need to know that we are trusted friends, brothers and sisters, colleagues," Garcetti remarked, without specifically mentioning Prime Minister Modi's recent trip to Moscow.
Referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Garcetti commented, "No war is distant anymore."
"No war is distant anymore and we must not just stand for peace, we must take concrete actions to make sure those who don't play by peaceful rules, that their war machines cannot continue unabated," he added.
Garcetti also emphasized the importance of respecting borders.
"I don't have to remind India how important borders are... That when we stand on those principles and stand together, we can show that principles are the guiding light of peace in our world and together the world's two largest democracies can enhance the security and the stability of our region," he stated.
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