India, US 2+2 talks on April 11, focus on international peace

India and the United States formally announced on Thursday that they will hold their next 2+2 dialogue on April 11.

India and the United States formally announced on Thursday that they will hold their next 2+2 dialogue on April 11, when defence minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister S Jaishankar will travel to Washington DC to meet their counterparts, secretary of defense Lloyd Austin and secretary of state Antony J Blinken.

Foreign minister S Jaishankar will attend the US 2+2 talks, along with Union minister Rajnath Singh, on April 11. (REUTERS)

Both sides said the dialogue will span the the full breadth of their partnership. The discussions will also celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, reaffirm the importance of the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership “in ensuring international peace and security”, stress on their shared commitment to a “free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region”, and chart “an ambitious course in the bilateral defence partnership”, the US state department and the department of defense said in separate statements on Thursday.

In Delhi, an external affairs ministry statement said: “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”.

The US announcement — emphasising the wide ranging nature of the relationship, the strategic convergence, shared values, and defence ties — comes in the wake of speculation about how the differing positions of Delhi and Washington on the Russian invasion of Ukraine would affect the bilateral relationship.

The Biden administration has been largely understanding of India’s position and historic relationship with Russia, while nudging Delhi to condemn Russian aggression, reduce its economic, energy and defence ties with Moscow, and abide by the spirit of the western sanctions regime. US officials had said that the 2+2 dialogue will show that the relationship remains robust, healthy and forward moving.

This will be the first India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue in the Joe Biden administration — and the fourth so far. The ministerial talks, the state department statement said, will be over two days cover defence, science and technology cooperation, climate, public health, and people-to-people ties.