S Jaishankar meets Pompeo ahead of Indo-US 2+2 dialogue

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the margins of the Indo-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue here that will witness the two sides engaging in discussions over a range of regional issues and strengthen defence ties.

The State Department in Washington will be hosting the India-US 2+2 dialogue today, in the presence of Pompeo and Secretary of Defence, Mark Esper, along with their Indian counterparts S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

"This upcoming meeting underscores the high priority the Trump Administration places on a strong US-India relationship," the state department official had said last week.

The official recalled that Pompeo, during his visit to India last summer, had emphasised that the bilateral relationship between the US and India has evolved dramatically from the relationship of great potential to one of the great achievements.

The official added that the 2+2 dialogue will address ways to further accelerate and deepen the cooperation and the two sides will discuss and coordinate on the pressing regional and global challenges of the day.

The State Department further noted that the 2+2 dialogue will serve as an important platform for discussing critical diplomatic and security issues and expand cooperation in science and counter-terrorism measures between the two countries.

The inaugural India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held in New Delhi in September 2018 in the presence of Pompeo and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The 2+2 Dialogue between India and the US was launched as a reflection of the shared commitment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump to provide a positive, forward-looking vision for the India-US strategic partnership and to promote synergy in their diplomatic and security efforts.