File photo of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. AFP

New Delhi: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the G20 foreign ministers’ meet in Delhi on 1 March, the US State Department said in press release on Thursday.

The meet, which is taking place one year after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, will also be attended by Blinken’s Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Earlier the US officials had only said that Blinken may attend the meet, but after the Russians confirmed Lavrov will attend the meet, the US followed with confirming Blinken’s, according to a CNN-NEWS18 report.

Blinken’s India visit will focus on focus on “strengthening multilateralism and deepening cooperation on food and energy security, sustainable development, counter-narcotics, global health, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and gender equality and women’s empowerment”, the press release read.

He will travel to the central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as a part of the wider regional visit from 28 February to 3 March.

Blinken will also participate in a C5+1 Ministerial with representatives of each of the five Central Asian states; Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Tougher sanctions on Russia

Yesterday, US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, during a G20 meeting in Bengaluru called for tougher sanctions on Russia.

Yellen was speaking on the eve of anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“We are seeking to strengthen sanctions and make sure that we address violations of sanctions,” she said.

She said that Russia was looking for alternative routes to restock its equipment to replace and repair weapons damaged in the war.

“We have deprived them of many channels they can obtain material that is critical for their defence efforts,” she said, adding, ““that is a particular focus we have in mind in respect to enforcement of existing sanctions and perhaps with respect to further sanctions.”

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