As part of the 2+2 dialogue, Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were to travel to the US to take part in the meeting with Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis. (representational photo)
The US Thursday sought to detach any link between the postponement of the ‘2+2 dialogue’ scheduled to be held in Washington next week and its bilateral relationship with India, reported PTI. The US embassy here said in a statement that the partnership between the two countries was a major strategic priority for the Trump Administration and that it remained firmly committed to a strong relationship with India.
Citing ‘unavoidable reasons’, the US had on Wednesday conveyed to India that it had postponed the dialogue.
In a statement, the embassy said, “Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo spoke last night with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to convey his regret for having to postpone the 2+2 dialogue, which had been scheduled for July 6. This scheduling change was prompted by reasons entirely unrelated to the bilateral relationship.”
The embassy also said that Swaraj and Secretary Pompeo agreed to reschedule the dialogue ‘as soon as possible’, adding that “the US-India partnership is a major strategic priority for the Trump Administration.”
As part of the 2+2 dialogue, Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were to travel to the US to take part in the meeting with Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis.
US and India had agreed upon this dialogue during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in June 2017. The two countries tried to schedule the dialogue many times with several dates having been considered.
It’s worth noting that the ‘2+2 Dialogue’ was postponed earlier this year as well owing to uncertainty over the confirmation of Pompeo as US President Donald Trump’s new Secretary of State. Pompeo was later confirmed as Secretary of State in April.
The dialogue was perceived as a vehicle to elevate the strategic relationship between the two countries. The meeting was expected to focus on strengthening strategic, security, and defence cooperation.