NB Explains | Antony Blinken, Llyod Austin to visit India for 2+2 dialogue; Know what to expect
The exact dates of his trips to these countries have not been announced. In New Delhi, the US delegation will participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
Total Views |
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin would be travelling to India for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with their Indian counterparts External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi this month, the State Department has said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, State Department Sokesperson Matthew Miller said that Blinken's trip to India comes at the end of a more than a week-long trip – November 2 to November 10 – beginning with Israel and Jordan, following which he would continue with his Indo-Pacific travels to Japan, S Korea and India.
The exact dates of his trips to these countries have not been announced. In New Delhi, the US delegation will participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. “The delegation will meet with Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, and other senior Indian officials to discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific,” Miller said.
What to expect?
This meeting, the fifth between the two countries, is going ahead even though all four leaders have a lot on their plate-the war in Ukraine is continuing and the trouble between Israel and the Hamas has only just begun. There are also domestic issues like the assembly elections in five states.
Quite naturally, Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine will be discussed as also, the Indo-Pacific, in some ways, a euphemism for an assertive China. After the meeting, defence secretary Austin will be visiting an important military base.
