India, US will hold 2+2 talks in November

THE DATES FOR THE 2+2 DIALOGUE BETWEEN FOREIGN AND DEFENCE MINISTERS OF THE TWO NATIONS ARE YET TO BE DECIDED

WASHINGTON: The next round of India-us 2+2 ministerial dialogue is expected to take place in November this year and there is possibility of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden later this month although there is no confirmation from the Indian government as yet.

Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters on Friday, at the end of two days of meetings with American officials and business leaders, that the dates for the 2+2 dialogue are still being discussed. He also spoke of the tentative bilateral summit and said it was under discussion.

“We are looking at the 2+2, which will happen in November. The exact dates are not yet worked out,” Shringla told reporters at the conclusion of his visit in Washington.

It is the US’S turn to host the 2+2 annual meeting of the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries and it will be the first meeting of this format for the Biden administration. The last meeting was held in New Delhi last October with Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper, secretaries of state and defence in the Trump administration.

The upcoming meeting will be between India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh, and US secretary of state Antony Blinken and defence secretary Lloyd Austin.

The Indian side has also begun advance preparations for a possible visit to the US by