India, US to hold first ''2+2 Dialogue'' on July 6

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 21

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to the US to meet Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis in Washington for the first Indo-US '2+2 Dialogue' on July 6.

This new dialogue format, agreed to between the two sides during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in June last year, was originally scheduled for April this year but was put off after former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s exit from the Donald Trump cabinet.

Former CIA chief Pompeo replaced Tillerson.

“The two sides are expected to share perspectives on strengthening their strategic and security ties and exchange views on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the  Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement.

The meeting comes at a time when India faces the heat of secondary sanctions from the US for its defence and commercial dealings with Russia and Iran. India has been lobbying with Capitol Hill and US Congress to find a way around the sanctions.