Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin to visit New Delhi for a ‘2+2’ dialogue.
Context
According to the U.S. State Department, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit New Delhi the following week for the “2+2” summit with Ministers of Defense Rajnath Singh and External Affairs S. Jaishankar.
What is the 2+2 dialogue?
- The 2+2 dialogue is a diplomatic conference between two countries in which two ministers from each country meet to discuss strategic and security objectives. The objective is to increase high-level interaction on bilateral, regional, and global concerns.
- Since 2018, the 2+2 dialogue has been held annually. India holds two-plus-two talks with four important strategic partners: the United States, Australia, Japan, and Russia.
- The 2+2 dialogue helps partners understand and appreciate each other’s strategic issues and sensitivities. This contributes to the development of a stronger, more integrated strategic connection in a continuously changing global environment.
What is the forthcoming 2+2 dialogue?
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are slated to visit New Delhi for a ‘2+2’ meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. This meeting is scheduled for November 9th and 10th.
What is the agenda of the meeting?
The ministers will debate bilateral and global issues, with a particular emphasis on Indo-Pacific trends. This is the fifth year for dialogue.
Which meeting proceeds the 2+2 dialogue?
The visit comes before India hosts the Quad Summit, which includes leaders from the United States, Japan, and Australia. The summit’s tentative date is January 27, and US President Joe Biden has been invited. The White House has not yet confirmed his attendance.
What are the potential topics going to be covered in this topic?
- The current Israel-Hamas war, Ukraine and Russia, and the reform of international financial organizations such as the World Bank and IMF will be covered at the 2+2 conference, which is a priority for India as the outgoing G-20 president.
- Diplomatic Relations with Canada: The encounter is notable since it is the first such meeting between India and Canada since diplomatic relations worsened after suspicions that the Indian government was involved in the assassination of a Canadian Khalistani separatist leader in British Columbia. The United States has encouraged India to cooperate with Canada’s inquiry.
- China and South Asian Neighbors: The meeting will also include discussions about China and developments in the South Asian neighbourhood, such as the recent election in the Maldives and differences in approach to Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh, particularly in response to concerns about the conduct of elections in January 2024.
- Defence Cooperation: Discussions on the implementation of the US-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap will continue in the defence sector. The Security of Supply Arrangement and the Reciprocal Defense Procurement pact are also being negotiated by the two countries. India is in the process of purchasing 31 MQ-9B Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, with the agreement expected to be completed by February 2024.
Conclusion
Despite other global issues, the United States sees this travel across Asia, particularly the 2+2 meeting in New Delhi, as proof of its long-term commitment to and attention to the Indo-Pacific region.
