In a significant diplomatic development, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin are set to visit New Delhi next week for the annual India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue. This marks the fifth such dialogue in this format and comes after the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, which is expected to be a focal point of discussion.
Hosted by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the meeting will take place on November 9-10. Antony Blinken’s itinerary includes visits to Tel Aviv, Amman, Tokyo, Seoul, and New Delhi from November 2-10.
The US State Department announced the visit, highlighting that the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue will cover both bilateral and global concerns, with a focus on developments in the Indo-Pacific. Given ongoing international issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, a wide array of topics is expected to be addressed.
Notably, this visit occurs two months after US President Joe Biden attended the G20 leaders’ summit in India on September 9-10. India has also extended an invitation to President Biden to participate in the Republic Day celebrations, which are part of the plan to host the Quad leaders’ summit in January next year. The 2+2 ministerial dialogue encompasses discussions on various matters, including defense, nuclear issues, space, cyber security, visas, and health.
