The ‘two plus two’ dialogue between India and US is to begin on 6th September. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis would travel to India for the dialogue. Previously, the US had to delay the talks stating the reason to be ‘unavoidable circumstances’
“The United States is pleased to announce that the inaugural US-India ‘2+2 dialogue’ will be held in New Delhi, India, on September 6,” State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.
The ‘Two plus Two’ is the term used for the institutionalisation of a dialogue mechanism between two countries consisting of the key ministries of defense & external affairs. Japan and India already share the same strategic bond.
The initial talks on this strategy between the two countries were conducted last year between Narendra Modi and Donald Trump. After June last year, the two countries have tried to schedule the dialogue many times with several dates having been considered and it was finally decided to be held on September 6th.
“Our fundamental objectives are laid out in our Indo-Pacific strategy, and I think whether it’s Australia, the US, Japan or India, we all have some very close-held, very similar views on the fundamental importance of maintaining a rules-based system and international norms, our commitment to free and open markets, all these things,” officials attending the meeting said.
In the past, the US had recognised the central role, Iranian crude oil plays in India’s energy security. At the same time, New Delhi gradually curtailed its oil imports to comply with US secondary sanctions and secure the requisite waivers from Washington.
Some US lawmakers are working to get a waiver for India from the punitive Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions ACT (CAATSA), under which sanctions are imposed on countries that purchase significant military equipment from Russia. This decision will be an instrumental strategy for both the decisions to effectively function.