Everyone deserves a voice, says Antony Blinken

New Delhi: All people deserve to have a voice in their government and be treated with respect no matter who they are, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted on Wednesday while noting that Indians and Americans believe in human dignity, in equality of opportunity, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion and belief.

Addressing civil society members in his first public event after arriving here and ahead of his meetings with the Indian leadership, Blinken said that both US and India share a commitment to democratic values and it is part of the bedrock of the bilateral relationship.

The US Secretary of State said that successful democracies include "thriving" civil societies, noting that they are needed to make democracies "more open, more inclusive, more resilient, more equitable." Blinken cited business cooperation, educational engagement, religious and spiritual ties and ties between millions of families as some of the key pillars of the overall relationship. "Perhaps most important, we're connected by shared values, and I believe shared aspirations, that are common to our people. The Indian people and the American people believe in human dignity, in equality of opportunity, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion and belief," he said.