US said it supports India as a vital partner in promoting a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Washington:
The US has said it supports India’s emergence as a leading global power and a vital partner in promoting a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
The country said the US-India relationship is one of the most strategic and consequential of the 21st century, as per a fact sheet released by the US State Department.
The fact sheet said the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the US Secretaries of State and Defence and their Indian counterparts is the premier recurring dialogue mechanism between the United States and India.
“Through the 2+2 mechanism, US and Indian officials advance a wide range of initiatives across the breadth of the United States-India partnership,” it said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday arrived in New Delhi to co-chair the 5th India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Blinken’s visit will give further boost to India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
“A warm welcome to U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken as he arrives in New Delhi to co-chair the 5th India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The visit will give a further boost to the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership!,” Mr Bagchi wrote on ‘X’.
Earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin also arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to attend the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said: “US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin are visiting New Delhi as part of ‘2+2’ Security Dialogue. Deepening our security cooperation will be the topic that will be part of the discussion by both secretaries and their Indian counterparts. I have no doubt that cooperation in counter-terrorism is something that will come up.”
The US Principal Deputy Spokesperson earlier said: “”India is a country that we have a deep partnership with. He (Blinken) will be going for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue along with Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin. So I expect, of course, that deepening this security cooperation in partnership, will be, one of the many topics that are discussed.”
The dialogue will provide a platform for top-level discussions between the US and India, addressing critical bilateral and global matters, with special emphasis on developments unfolding in the Indo-Pacific region.
US State Secretary Blinken and Defence Secretary Austin will meet with their Indian counterparts, Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar and Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, as well as other senior officials.
The discussions are expected to encompass a wide spectrum of issues, including strengthening bilateral relations, addressing global concerns, and promoting cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
“The Secretary will travel to New Delhi to participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, joined by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III.
The delegation will meet with Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, and other senior Indian officials to discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific,” read an official statement by the US State Department.
The 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is a diplomatic summit held every year since 2018, with the Minister of External Affairs and the Defence Minister representing India and the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defence representing the United States.
The discussions centre on common issues of concern between the two countries.
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