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- Sushma, Nirmala hold talks with U.S. counterparts ahead of 2+2 dialogue
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis pose beside India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman before the start of their meeting in New Delhi on September 6, 2018. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Ahead of the inaugural 2+2 dialogue, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held separate meetings on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis respectively.
Official sources said a number of key bilateral issues were to be discussed during the meetings.
Both Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Mattis arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for the inaugural Indo-U.S. 2+2 talks, which was finalised during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in 2017.
In a special gesture, Ms. Swaraj received Secretary Pompeo at the airport in New Delhi on September 5 while Ms. Sitharaman welcomed Secretary Mattis, reflecting the importance India attaches to their visit.
The focus of the 2+2 talks is to deepen global strategic partnership between the two countries and resolve differences over India’s defence engagement with Russia and crude oil import from Iran.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveeh Kumar said the meeting was a “reflection of a shared commitment to provide a positive, forward-looking vision to our strategic partnership and our growing convergence on important issues”.
Earlier on Thursday, Swaraj and Sitharaman held separate meetings with their United States counterparts. Several key bilateral matters were discussed during the two delegation-level meetings, officials told PTI. The American officials will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day. “I am confident that our discussions and decisions that we’ll take today will help unleash the untapped potential of our relation and further elevate the level of our partnership,” said Swaraj.
Updated : September 04, 2018 16:27 IST
Two-plus-two talks: Jim Mattis and Mike Pompeo will hold talks with Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman
Pompeo said India and US have a “natural starting point” as the two countries were united by shared values of democracy, respect for individual rights and commitment to freedom.“We should continue to ensure freedom of the seas, skies, uphold the peaceful resolutions of the maritime disputes, promote market based economics and good governance and prevent external economic coercion,” he added.
Pompeo and Mattis arrived separately in New Delhi on Wednesday night. Swaraj received Pompeo at the airport and Sitharaman welcomed Mattis. Pompeo is the secretary of state and Mattis the secretary of defence in the US administration.
Before leaving Washington on Tuesday, Pompeo said the United States would discuss New Delhi’s purchase of Russian missile systems and Iranian crude oil during the dialogue, but these would not be the primary focus of the talks. The dialogue, which was supposed to be held earlier this year, was postponed twice.
Ahead of the inaugural 2+2 dialogue, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held separate meetings on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis respectively.
Official sources said a number of key bilateral issues were to be discussed during the meetings.
Both Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Mattis arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for the inaugural Indo-U.S. 2+2 talks, which was finalised during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in 2017.
In a special gesture, Ms. Swaraj received Secretary Pompeo at the airport in New Delhi on September 5 while Ms. Sitharaman welcomed Secretary Mattis, reflecting the importance India attaches to their visit.
The focus of the 2+2 talks is to deepen global strategic partnership between the two countries and resolve differences over India’s defence engagement with Russia and crude oil import from Iran.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveeh Kumar said the meeting was a “reflection of a shared commitment to provide a positive, forward-looking vision to our strategic partnership and our growing convergence on important issues”.
Earlier on Thursday, Swaraj and Sitharaman held separate meetings with their United States counterparts. Several key bilateral matters were discussed during the two delegation-level meetings, officials told PTI. The American officials will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day. “I am confident that our discussions and decisions that we’ll take today will help unleash the untapped potential of our relation and further elevate the level of our partnership,” said Swaraj.
Updated : September 04, 2018 16:27 IST
Two-plus-two talks: Jim Mattis and Mike Pompeo will hold talks with Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman
Pompeo said India and US have a “natural starting point” as the two countries were united by shared values of democracy, respect for individual rights and commitment to freedom.“We should continue to ensure freedom of the seas, skies, uphold the peaceful resolutions of the maritime disputes, promote market based economics and good governance and prevent external economic coercion,” he added.
Pompeo and Mattis arrived separately in New Delhi on Wednesday night. Swaraj received Pompeo at the airport and Sitharaman welcomed Mattis. Pompeo is the secretary of state and Mattis the secretary of defence in the US administration.
Before leaving Washington on Tuesday, Pompeo said the United States would discuss New Delhi’s purchase of Russian missile systems and Iranian crude oil during the dialogue, but these would not be the primary focus of the talks. The dialogue, which was supposed to be held earlier this year, was postponed twice.
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