In a significant diplomatic development, United States Secretary of Defence, Lloyd J. Austin III, is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to India from November 09 to 10, 2023.
The primary focus of his visit is to co-chair the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, a platform for high-level discussions on strategic, defence, and technology matters between the two nations.
Upon his arrival in New Delhi on November 09, Secretary Austin will receive a warm welcome, including a Tri-service Guard of Honour at the Palam Technical Area, India’s Ministry of Defence informed.
About India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue:
The Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue, scheduled for November 10, will see Secretary Austin and U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, partnering with Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, and Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S Jaishankar. The dialogue is anticipated to address a myriad of critical issues, spanning strategic cooperation, global concerns, and developments unfolding in the Indo-Pacific region.
In a statement released, the Ministry of External Affairs informed, “The Ministers will take the opportutnity to progress the futuristic roadmap for the India-US partnership as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joseph Biden, in their discussions in June and September this year.”
“Both sides will also take stock of contemporary regional issues and exchange views about shared priorities for augmenting cooperation in multilateral platforms, and through frameworks such as Quad,” the Ministry added.
Further, following the 2+2 Dialogue, Secretary Austin will engage in a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The one-on-one interaction is expected to delve deeper into strengthening bilateral relations and exploring avenues for cooperation in defense and technology sectors.
It is pertinent to note that, this visit marks Secretary Austin’s return to India after his previous visit in June 2023 when he had fruitful discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
