Express News Service
NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to New Delhi next week for the ‘2+2’ meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting is likely to take place on November 9.
“During the interactions, Secretary Blinken and Austin will discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific,” said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Dr Jaishankar met with Secretary Blinken in the US in September.
In the upcoming 2+2 meeting, discussions will focus on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the humanitarian crisis, upcoming elections in Bangladesh where the US has a special interest. Talks on China will also be on the agenda, according to sources.
There is a possibility of Canada emerging as a topic of discussion, as there has been much speculation about the US response to the accusation made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the killing of slain Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Meanwhile, the 2+2 meeting comes ahead of the much-speculated Quad Summit that India will host this year. There is speculation that the Quad Summit will be held in Delhi on January 27. The US hasn’t confirmed whether President Joe Biden will be visiting India in January, so there is no certainty about the dates.
The possibility of the Quad being held in January 2024, which is primarily subject to President Biden’s confirmation, will also be part of the discussions. The 2+2 ministerial dialogue is the highest level of stock-taking between India and the US, encompassing a range of issues from defence deals, visas, cybersecurity, health, geopolitics, and diplomacy.
Meanwhile, Secretary Blinken will travel to Tel Aviv, Amman, Tokyo and Seoul before arriving in Delhi.“In Israel, Secretary Blinken will reiterate US support for Israel to defend itself against terrorism in keeping with international humanitarian law and discuss efforts to safeguard US citizens in Israel. They will discuss the immediate release of hostages and increase the pace of humanitarian assistance in Gaza,” Miller added.
Blinken will also visit Jordan, where he will underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives and their shared commitment to facilitating the increased sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance and ensuring that Palestinians aren’t forcibly displaced from Gaza while ensuring the resumption of essential services.
“Secretary Blinken will address pressing issues, promote peace, ease tensions, and reiterate the US commitment to fostering a lasting Middle East peace, including a Palestinian state,” Miller noted.The 2+2 ministerial dialogue is a diplomatic meeting that has been held every year since 2018 between the ministers of foreign affairs and defence of India and the US.
Economic growth, job creation at heart of 2+2In June 2017, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington DC, India and the United States officially launched the 2+2 Ministerial dialogue. This replaced the previous India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, which focused on economic growth, job creation, business climate, and global order based on rules and norms.
The 2+2 Dialogue represents a significant strengthening of bilateral ties, with two ministers from each country discussing strategic and security interests at various levels. The dialogue primarily centers on strategic, defence, and security relations. India is represented by its External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister, while the United States is represented by the Secretary of State and Defense Secretary.
This format underscores India’s importance as a political and military partner for the United States and their collaboration on global issues. The inaugural 2+2 Dialogue resulted in the COMCASA agreement, granting India access to secure American technologies and further enhancing their strategic and defence cooperation. This agreement marks a substantial step forward in their partnership, enabling them to tackle shared challenges and pursue common objectives globally. Follow channel on WhatsApp
NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to New Delhi next week for the ‘2+2’ meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting is likely to take place on November 9.
“During the interactions, Secretary Blinken and Austin will discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific,” said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Dr Jaishankar met with Secretary Blinken in the US in September.
In the upcoming 2+2 meeting, discussions will focus on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the humanitarian crisis, upcoming elections in Bangladesh where the US has a special interest. Talks on China will also be on the agenda, according to sources.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
There is a possibility of Canada emerging as a topic of discussion, as there has been much speculation about the US response to the accusation made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the killing of slain Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Meanwhile, the 2+2 meeting comes ahead of the much-speculated Quad Summit that India will host this year. There is speculation that the Quad Summit will be held in Delhi on January 27. The US hasn’t confirmed whether President Joe Biden will be visiting India in January, so there is no certainty about the dates.
The possibility of the Quad being held in January 2024, which is primarily subject to President Biden’s confirmation, will also be part of the discussions. The 2+2 ministerial dialogue is the highest level of stock-taking between India and the US, encompassing a range of issues from defence deals, visas, cybersecurity, health, geopolitics, and diplomacy.
Meanwhile, Secretary Blinken will travel to Tel Aviv, Amman, Tokyo and Seoul before arriving in Delhi.
“In Israel, Secretary Blinken will reiterate US support for Israel to defend itself against terrorism in keeping with international humanitarian law and discuss efforts to safeguard US citizens in Israel. They will discuss the immediate release of hostages and increase the pace of humanitarian assistance in Gaza,” Miller added.
Blinken will also visit Jordan, where he will underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives and their shared commitment to facilitating the increased sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance and ensuring that Palestinians aren’t forcibly displaced from Gaza while ensuring the resumption of essential services.
“Secretary Blinken will address pressing issues, promote peace, ease tensions, and reiterate the US commitment to fostering a lasting Middle East peace, including a Palestinian state,” Miller noted.
The 2+2 ministerial dialogue is a diplomatic meeting that has been held every year since 2018 between the ministers of foreign affairs and defence of India and the US.
Economic growth, job creation at heart of 2+2
In June 2017, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington DC, India and the United States officially launched the 2+2 Ministerial dialogue. This replaced the previous India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, which focused on economic growth, job creation, business climate, and global order based on rules and norms.
The 2+2 Dialogue represents a significant strengthening of bilateral ties, with two ministers from each country discussing strategic and security interests at various levels. The dialogue primarily centers on strategic, defence, and security relations. India is represented by its External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister, while the United States is represented by the Secretary of State and Defense Secretary.
This format underscores India’s importance as a political and military partner for the United States and their collaboration on global issues. The inaugural 2+2 Dialogue resulted in the COMCASA agreement, granting India access to secure American technologies and further enhancing their strategic and defence cooperation. This agreement marks a substantial step forward in their partnership, enabling them to tackle shared challenges and pursue common objectives globally. Follow channel on WhatsApp
