MEA says 2+2 meet timing not linked to US elections

The exterior affairs ministry on Thursday performed down questions on India internet hosting the strategic 2+2 dialogue with the US forward of the nation’s presidential election on November 3, saying that the timing of the talks was largely according to these of the 2 earlier conferences.

Experts have questioned the rationale behind holding the important thing talks between the international and defence ministers of the 2 sides at a time when the US election might result in a change of presidency. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and protection secretary Mark Esper shall be on a two-day go to to India for the dialogue with their counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh on October 27.

Asked about this challenge on the weekly information briefing, exterior affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava mentioned: “As regards the timing of the meeting, you would know that diplomatic calendars have their logic. You will notice that the earlier two meetings have also been held towards the end of the year.”

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The maiden 2+2 dialogue was held in New Delhi in September 2018 and the second in Washington in December 2019.

The third dialogue will see India and the US consolidating their diplomatic and safety ties, together with institutionalised intelligence-sharing and efforts to make sure a free and open Indo-Pacific. The signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) can be on the playing cards to facilitate sharing of categorised satellite tv for pc and sensor information.

“The third 2+2 ministerial dialogue will entail a comprehensive discussion on cross-cutting bilateral issues of mutual interest. In addition, both sides will exchange views on salient regional and global issues,” Srivastava mentioned, declining to enter particulars.

The discussions throughout these dialogues have enabled each side to take ahead their relationship and strengthen the institutional framework for cooperation throughout all sectors, he mentioned.

Pompeo and Esper can even have bilateral conferences with their counterparts, and meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.