- The first-ever India-United States 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held in New Delhi on September 6, 2018 with main focus on Defence Cooperation and counter terrorism.
- The meeting aimed to provide a positive, forward-looking vision to strategic partnership and growing convergence on important issues between two countries.
- US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Defence Secretary James N Mattis visited India to hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the dialogue.
- A joint statement was issued on the conclusion of the dialougue between the two countries.
- The next 2+2 meeting is to be held in the United States in 2019.
- Important Features of the Joint Statement
- Strengthening the Defense and Security Partnership
- A Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) was inked at the Indo-US 2+2 dialogue
- The pact will enable Indian military to obtain critical, secure and encrypted defence technologies from US and access critical communication network to ensure interoperability among the US and the Indian armed forces.
- Partners in the Indo-Pacific and Beyond
- Both sides emphasized the need to work collectively with other partner countries to support transparent, responsible and sustainable debt financing practices in infrastructure development in the Indo-Pacific region, development of Afghanistan,
- The two sides pledged to work together to counter North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction programs. US supported India’s immediate accession to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
- Promoting Prosperity and People-to-People Ties
- Both the sides recognized the benefit of people-to-people ties between the two nations for the free flow of ideas and collaboration in health, space, oceans and other areas of science and technology.
