Bi-Lateral
India-US 2+2 dialogue
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin discussed a range of matters to enhance bilateral defence cooperation
India-US Reaffirm Defence Partnership The visit of Rajnath Singh to USA for the 2+2 dialogue provided an opportunity to both sides to extensively review the entire gamut of bilateral defence cooperation
Photograph: PIB
By Ranjit Kumar The India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue held in Washington on April 11, 2022, in the backdrop of Russia-Ukraine war, emerged unscathed from the diplomatic fallouts of the conflict. It is significant that in view of the new emerging global order and fast changing geo-politics of the world, India and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen, strengthen and expand the scope and intensity of defence and security cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies. India’s defence relations with Russia notwithstanding, India and United States have reaffirmed their commitment to re-energise and re-invigorate the unique defence partnership between the great nations for the sake of maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The joint foreign and defence ministerial dialogue, fourth after its inception and first under the Biden administration, provided a good opportunity to deeply review the progress made so far in the bilateral defence cooperation and exchanges, especially after the grant of the status of ‘Major Defence Partner’ to India in 2016 and it’s further elevation to the level of Strategic Trade Authorisation Tier-1 status in 2018, which allows India to receive license- free
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ISSUE 4 • 2022
access to a wide range of military and dual use technologies regulated by the department of commerce of USA. In Washington DC, US President Joe Biden held a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. The two Leaders had an extensive exchange of views on several regional and global issues, such as the COVID19 pandemic, global economic recovery, climate action, recent developments in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, and the situation in Ukraine. They also took stock of the significant progress made in bilateral relations in recent years. Both leaders agreed that further strengthening of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership would be of tremendous benefit to the two countries, and would also contribute to global peace, prosperity and stability. Later, the Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister cochaired with their US counterparts the 4th India-US Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue on April 11, 2022. Drawing on the momentum from the US-India Defence Policy Group meeting in October
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