India-US 2+2 dialogue: Defence Secy Austin to welcome Rajnath Singh in DC on April 11

Ahead of India-US 2+2 dialogue, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will welcome Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony at the Pentagon on April 11 at 9 am EDT. Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, and their respective American counterparts are scheduled to hold the  2+2 dialogue on Aptil 11.

"The Dialogue would enable both sides to undertake a comprehensive review of cross-cutting issues in the India-US bilateral agenda related to foreign policy, defence and security with the objective of providing strategic guidance and a vision for further consolidating the relationship," a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement said.

The statement further added that the 2+2 Dialogue will serve as a platform to discuss important regional and global developments and how both the countries can work together to address issues of common interest and concern. 

The US State Department in a media note has informed that Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and Secretary of Defense will welcome their Indian counterparts in Washington DC on Monday.

In a statement, the US had said that the 2+2 Ministerial will provide an opportunity to advance their shared objectives across the breadth of the US-India Strategic Partnership, including "enhancing people-to-people ties and education cooperation, building diverse, resilient supply chains for critical and emerging technology, scaling up our climate action and public health cooperation, and developing a trade and investment partnership to increase prosperity for working families in both countries".

The US State Department stated that the dialogue is an important opportunity to highlight US-India's growing major defence partnership and said, "The relationship between the world's largest democracies is built on a foundation of common values and resilient democratic institutions, and the shared Indo-Pacific interests of a rules-based international order that safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity, uphold human rights and expands regional and global peace and prosperity." 

Foreign Minister Jaishankar to visit US on April 11

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit the US on April 11-12, During his visit, he is likely to meet his counterpart, Secretary of State Blinken separately. During a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed that to advance the India-US strategic global partnership, the EAM will also meet senior members of the US administration. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called EAM Jaishankar and spoke about reviewing regional and global priorities in the 2+2 dialogue, including the Russia Ukraine war.

In October 2020, the previous 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the two countries was held in New Delhi. Again in September 2021, the United States and India held a bilateral 2+2 inter-sessional meeting in Washington and discussed developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region, and the Western Indian Ocean.

(With ANI input)

(Image: AP/PTI)