‘Focus on Russia summit may have led US to postpone talks with India’

Contentious trade issues between India and the US are unlikely to have led to the postponement of the first 2+2 dialogue between them and the Trump administration's focus on the July 16 summit with Russia and a possible meeting with North Korean officials could have prompted the deferment of the talks, according to leading India-US experts.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were to travel to Washington to take part in the meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis on July 6. However, Pompeo spoke over phone with Swaraj on June 27 and conveyed to her "his regret at the postponement" of the 2+2 dialogue due to "unavoidable reasons". They agreed to reschedule the dialogue as "soon as possible". Former US Ambassador to India Frank Wisner told PTI that he has "no reason" to doubt the "official line" that the US asked for the delay because of "unavoidable reasons"."While there are a number of contentious trade issues to sort out, none rise singly or collectively to constitute a crisis or anything like one. The strategic logic of the relationship remains strong,” Wisner said in an email response when asked to comment on the reasons for the postponement of the 2+2 dialogue and how it augurs for India-US ties.

Wisner said, he expects new dates for the talks to be announced soon.

In a similar vein, Senior Adviser and Wadhwani Chair in US-India Policy Studies at Washingtonbased The Center for Strategic and International Studies Richard Rossow said the postponement was not due to the negative barrage of trade issues but instead could be because of the upcoming Russia summit and perhaps another meeting with North Korean officials.

President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16 for a closely watched summit meeting. A report in the Financial Times said Pompeo will visit Pyongyang this week to “press forward with the Trump administration's efforts to force North Korea to denuclearise.”