New Delhi. 26 October 2020. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as the latter is in India to participate in the third India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue which will entail a comprehensive discussion on cross-cutting bilateral issues of mutual interest and . both sides will also exchange views on salient regional and global issues.
Indian External Affairs minister S Jaishankar tweeted, “Warm and productive meeting with @SecPompeo. Discussed key bilateral, regional and global issues. Reviewed progress in ties: grown substantially in every domain. Our foreign policy consultations and cooperation have expanded.”
He also in another tweet stated, “Working closely on plurilateral and multilateral formats. Looking forward to the 2+2 Dialogue tomorrow.”
Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State tweeted, “Grateful to Indian Foreign Minister for the warm welcome and hospitality on our first day in New Delhi. This evening was a testament to the deep bond between our nations and I am looking forward to tomorrow’s U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial.”
In another tweet he added, “Great discussion with @DrSJaishankarahead of our third U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. We agree that the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership is critical to the security and prosperity of both our countries, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world.”
Meanwhile the Principal Deputy Spokesperson Cale Brown in an official statement said, “Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar ahead of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi, India. Secretary Pompeo and Minister Jaishankar welcomed this third U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in just over two years as a symbol of the strong partnership between the United States and India.”
He added that from addressing the shared challenges of COVID-19 and responding to regional security issues, to collaborating on vaccine development and economic prosperity, the Secretary and the Minister agreed that the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership is critical to the security and prosperity of both countries, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world. Secretary Pompeo welcomed India’s upcoming term on the UN Security Council and the opportunity for the United States and India to work closely together on issues of mutual and global concern. Both leaders looked forward to additional opportunities to further strengthen the U.S.-India partnership.
Prior to leaving Washington a formal statement issued stated, “ The United States and India have a strong and growing bilateral relationship built on shared values and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. As the world’s oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India enjoy deeply rooted democratic traditions. The growth in the partnership reflects a deepening strategic convergence on a range of issues. Our cooperation is expanding in important areas including health, infrastructure development, energy, aviation, science, and space. Holding the third U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in just over two years demonstrates high-level commitment to our shared diplomatic and security objectives.”
