US Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked the staff?of US consulates in several states including Mumbai and Hyderabad for helping "advance the US-India strategic partnership". In a series of pictures he shared on Twitter, Blinken was seen getting out of a three-wheeler in New Delhi.

He?arrived in the national capital on Wednesday night primarily to attend a crucial meeting of G20 foreign ministers that is taking place amid a bitter rift between the West and the Russia-China combine over the Ukraine conflict.

"The #USIndia partnership is consequential. My visit reflects the power of our partnership and the strong commitment we share to safeguarding the Indo-Pacific," he said, adding that he was thankful for?India’s hospitality and leadership, and was ready to partner on the ambitious agenda for their G20 Presidency.

"A pleasure to meet with our staff from @USAndIndia, @USAndHyderabad, @USAndKolkata, @USAndChennai, @USAndMumbai, and their families. I'm deeply grateful for their hard work and commitment to strengthen our people to people ties and advance the #USIndia strategic partnership," Mr Blinken also said in a tweet.

Besides attending the G20 meeting on Thursday, Blinken held bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "They spoke about shared efforts to elevate and expand strategic technology and defence industrial cooperation, promote food, energy and global health security, clean energy transition, counternarcotics cooperation, and women's economic empowerment,"?US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.

He is also set to attend a Quad foreign ministers' meeting on Friday. The US Secretary of State arrived in Delhi after a tour of Uzbekistan.

(With PTI inputs)