Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin to reach India next week for 2+2 dialogue

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, November 2

India and the US will hold the 2+2 meeting of their Foreign and Defence Ministers here next week, the US State Department announced on Thursday. The 2+2 will be part of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s week-long tour that will take him to several hotspots, including Tel Aviv and Jordan (Israel-Hamas conflict), and Tokyo and Seoul (Asia-Pacific), besides New Delhi.

Bilateral ties, Indo-Pacific on agenda

• US Secy of State Antony Blinken & Defence Secy Lloyd Austin will meet counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh
• Will discuss bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific
• The exact date for the 2+2 ministerial dialogue in Delhi is yet to be announced

This indicates that the two sides have compartmentalised the Nijjar murder issue while seeking to continue advancing their ties in the strategic domain. Though expressing sympathy with Ottawa on the Nijjar issue, the UK has also not followed Canada’s example of suspending trade talks.

An enduring theme of Blinken’s tour will be to inform other countries about the steadfast US support for Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism, said the State Department. In Israel and Jordan, he will discuss efforts to secure the release of hostages and prevent the conflict from spreading. In Tokyo, Seoul and New Delhi, one common element will be advancing joint efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region. In Tokyo, Blinken will also participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The exact dates of his trips to these countries have not been announced.

In Delhi, Blinken will be joined by Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh, besides other senior Indian officials, to discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific, said the State Department.

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