New Delhi To Host India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue On Oct 27; US Defence Chief, Secretary To Attend Event

The first two 2+2 Ministerial dialogues were held in New Delhi in September 2018 and in Washington DC in 2019. The agenda for the third dialogue will cover all bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday announced that the country will be hosting the 3rd India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue on October 27 in the national capital. As per reports, country's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be leading the delegation from the Indian side. From the United States, Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark T Esper will be visiting India on 26-27 this October for the dialogue. “Secretary Pompeo and I will be there next week,” Esper had said on Tuesday adding that its their our second 2+2 with the Indians, the third ever for the United States and India and it is very important. The first two 2+2 Ministerial dialogues were held in New Delhi in September 2018 and in Washington DC in 2019. The agenda for the third dialogue will cover all bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

I'm also sure that my meetings will also include discussions on how free nations can work together to thwart the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party: US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo https://t.co/mTwUfvwJ5u

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2020

Amid the ongoing tensions with China, both the countries are seeking to build close ties, and are expected to sign the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for geospatial cooperation during the dialogue. "The BECA is expected to be signed during the meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper on October 26-27 with their Indian counterparts including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The agreement will ensure that the armed forces of the two countries start talking to each other on enhancing geospatial cooperation," government sources told news agency ANI. "It's very important. India will well be the most consequential partner for us, I think, in the Indo Pacific for sure in this century," Esper said in response to a question during a webinar organized by The Atlantic Council think-tank. The BECA deal is the third foundational agreement to be signed between India and the US after the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement and the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement. Formed in 2018, the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue meetings reflect the two country's ever increasing convergence on the strategic issues.