United States to hold meeting of 2+2 Dialogue with India today

Washington, August 22

Amid increased India-Pakistan tension, the United States will host an inter-sessional meeting of the US-India 2+2 Dialogue in California on Thursday to discuss ways to advance cooperation on critical diplomatic and security priorities.

The inter-sessional meeting is aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership, the State Department said on Wednesday.

“During the Inter-sessional, the two sides will discuss ways to advance cooperation on critical diplomatic and security priorities, including our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and review preparations for the next 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue,” the State Department said.

The American delegation is being led jointly by Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells and Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Affairs Randall Schriver.

Meanwhile, on Friday, during the fourth US-India Maritime Security Dialogue, the two sides would exchange views on maritime developments in the Indo-Pacific region and consider steps to further strengthen bilateral maritime security cooperation, the official US statement said.

Both the 2+2 Inter-sessional meeting and Maritime Security Dialogue would be held at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey in California, it said.

The interactions will lay the ground work for the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to the US later this fall. PTI