India-US discuss Afghanistan, situation in Indo-Pacific
The disturbing developments in Afghanistan are understood to have figured prominently during the ‘2+2’ Inter-sessional meeting held at the official level between India and the United States.
The two sides reviewed progress made since the last ‘2+2’ ministerial dialogue involving their foreign and defence ministers in October 2020 and preparations for the forthcoming dialogue later this year.
The Indian delegation was led jointly by Vani Rao, Joint Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs and Somnath Ghosh, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence. The U.S. delegation was led by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs Ely Ratner alongside Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the Department of State Ervin Massinga.
An official release said both sides took stock of the progress and developments in the bilateral agenda under the India-US strategic partnership, including defence, global public health, economic and commercial cooperation, science and technology, clean energy and climate finance, and people to people ties.
They explored opportunities for enhancing ongoing cooperation in these fields based on mutual interests. Cooperation in contemporary areas such as space, cyber security and emerging technologies was also discussed.
The officials had an opportunity to exchange assessments about recent developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and Western Indian Ocean, given their shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity and for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. They also considered the possibility of enhancing collaboration in areas of counterterrorism, HADR and maritime security.
The two sides agreed to continue these discussions ahead of the ‘2+2’ ministerial dialogue scheduled for later this year.