New Delhi: US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and defence secretary Mark Esper will arrive in New Delhi for India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue on Monday for a two-day visit, during which they will also hold bilateral talks with their Indian counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh and meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 2+2 ministerial dialogue, to be held on Tuesday morning, is expected to focus on regional security cooperation, defence information-sharing so that the two sides can tackle regional challenges more effectively, global cooperation, including public health collaboration to cope with Covid-19, economic cooperation, and working together in the Indo-Pacific.
Taking to Twitter, Mike Pompeo informed that he has left for his trip to India, saying, “Wheels up for my trip to India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia. Grateful for the opportunity to connect with our partners to promote a shared vision for a free and open #IndoPacific composed of independent, strong, and prosperous nations.”
Shortly after their arrival in the national capital on Monday afternoon, Pompeo and Esper will hold separate bilateral meetings with their Indian counterparts that will allow the two sides to review and assess bilateral cooperation in diplomacy and defence.