NEW DELHI: New Delhi is a priority for the US and Secretary of State Antony Blinken鈥檚 first visit to India on Tuesday will provide an opportunity to deepen bilateral ties, explore COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy, and discuss the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, experts said.

鈥淭he visit is important in the larger context of the US-India relationship because it shows that there is a consistent engagement with India and India is a priority,鈥� Harsh V. Pant, head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), told Arab News.

On Wednesday, Blinken is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

鈥淏oth sides will review the robust and multifaceted India-US bilateral relations and potential for consolidating them further,鈥� India鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said in a statement on July 23, announcing Blinken鈥檚 two-day visit.

It added that discussions would focus on 鈥渞egional and global issues of mutual interest 鈥� including recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indo-Pacific region, Afghanistan, and cooperation in the UN.鈥�

Analysts said the visit could also lay the groundwork for an in-person summit of the Quad group of countries 鈥� comprising India, Japan, Australia and the US 鈥� likelyto be held in September and mainly aimed at drawing up measures to counter China鈥檚 rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region which, according to Pant, sent out a 鈥渓arger message鈥� about New Delhi鈥檚 role.

鈥淲e have seen the US secretary of defense coming to India earlier this year, we have seen (US President Joe) Biden calling the Quad leadership summit early on in his term, and now we have the secretary of state coming to India. I think there is a larger message about the Indo-US relationship and how important America sees India as a partner,鈥� he said.

A virtual summit of the Quad group held in March created a working group on COVID-19 vaccine delivery, with India as the lead manufacturer committing to produce at least a billion vaccine doses by the end of 2022, mainly for southeast Asian and Pacific countries grappling with a spike in infections.

Blinken鈥檚 visit could create an opportunity to 鈥渂olster the global strategic partnership鈥� between India and the US and focus on ways to support Afghanistan as the Taliban make rapid territorial gains amid a drawdown of US-led foreign troops from the country after 20 years of occupation.

Afghanistan鈥檚 deteriorating security situation saw India withdraw its staff from its consulates in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif earlier this month.

鈥淭here are some apprehensions about the way things are moving in Afghanistan,鈥� Pant added. 鈥淭herefore, from India鈥檚 perspective, it would be important to get a sense of what the American plan for Afghanistan is.鈥�

Pranay Kotasthane, deputy director at the Takshashila Institution, said India鈥檚 primary concern would be to 鈥渄eny space鈥� in Afghanistan to 鈥淧akistan-sponsored terrorist groups鈥� and that there might be some discussions toward this goal.

On Monday, India said that it was also 鈥渨illing to discuss鈥� its human rights record if Blinken raised it during the bilateral talks.

鈥淚ndia has a plural tradition and multicultural society,鈥� and it is willing to 鈥渄iscuss any human rights issue,鈥� a source in the Indian government, who could not be identified under government policy, told Arab News.

It comes after Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson told reporters in Washington D.C. on Friday that 鈥渢he human rights and democracy question鈥� would be part of the talks between Indian and US foreign ministers.

Since being elected to office in 2014, Modi and his government have faced allegations of suppressing dissent, pursuing divisive policies to appeal to Hindu voters, and enacting the Citizenship Amendment Law two years ago that Muslims see as discriminatory.

India鈥檚 human rights record became even more pronounced after the death in custody of 87-year-old Jesuit priest Stan Swamy, who was arrested on charges of supporting ultra-Maoists, while awaiting bail.

Pant said that bringing up the issue for talks reflected the 鈥減ressures鈥� that Biden鈥檚 administration was under from various US constituencies.

鈥淚 think those who deal with India and the US know that historically India is cagey about including outsiders on domestic issues,鈥� he added.