India, Nov. 14 -- Washington's relations with New Delhi and Islamabad are fundamentally different, former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday, calling India a "global force".

Speaking at the 24th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS), Blinken also acknowledged India's right to self-defence in the face of threats by terrorists, while backing diplomatic efforts in the event of an escalation. Follow HT Leadership Summit 2026 LIVE updates

"Our relationship, our interests, the things that we are working on together...the places where we sometimes have differences are really global in nature," he said, in conversation with Amb. Jawed Ashraf, Chairman, ITPO (Indian Trade Promotion Organisation).

At the same time, he said,...