US puts off 2+2 talks with India
NEWDELHI/WASHINGTON:The US on Wednesday postponed its inaugural 2+2 dialogue with India, for which the defence and foreign ministers of the two sides were to meet in Washington on July 6, citing “unavoidable reasons”.
The US state department had formally announced the date for the meeting only last Thursday, ending months of uncertainty caused by postponements and cancellations because of scheduling and personnel changes.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that secretary of state Mike Pompeo spoke to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday evening “to express his regret and deep disappointment at the US having to postpone the 2+2 dialogue for unavoidable reasons”.
Pompeo sought Swaraj’s “understanding, and they agreed to identify new mutually convenient dates to hold the dialogue at the earliest, in India or the US,” Kumar said.
There was no formal word from Washington on the development, which occurred as the visiting US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, held talks with top Indian leaders on a wide range of issues. A US official said on background there were “scheduling issues” on the American side.
Haley’s two-day trip to the country is aimed at solidifying the bilateral partnership.
The postponement of the 2+2 dialogue also came against the backdrop of the US dismantling sanctions relief provided to Iran under the 2015 nuclear deal, with a state department official telling reporters in Washington that the Trump administration has asked India and China to stop all imports of Iranian oil by November 4 or face sanctions.
Haley too raised the issue during her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, telling him it was important for India to cut Iranian oil imports.