India and the United States and will look to cooperate further in a number of key areas such as defense and foreign policy, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a press release on Thursday after the culmination of talks in the so-called 2+2 format in Washington
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2019) India and the United States and will look to cooperate further in a number of key areas such as defense and foreign policy, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a press release on Thursday after the culmination of talks in the so-called 2+2 format in Washington."The content and quality of our discussions today will commensurate with and reflective of the broad expanse of our ties. We reviewed ongoing cooperation in all areas of the interface of foreign policy and defense and outlined new priorities. Our officials will be guided by the strategic direction of today's talks and will take concrete action in the months ahead in that direction," the minister's statement read.
The foreign and defense ministers from both countries conducted talks in the 2+2 format. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that he was proud that the two countries have a shared vision in the region, and will look to build relations further after US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Houston last year.
Jaishankar outlined that the two countries' cooperation will not just benefit India, but will also have significant results for the entire region.
"Among the key issues that we discussed today was the Indo-Pacific, including ways to leverage our respective strengths to benefit not just our two countries but the entire region. Our cooperation is aimed at advancing a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific based on the recognition of ASEAN centrality," the external affairs minister said.
Other issues agreed upon include the United States' participation in the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure and greater cooperation in the spheres of science and technology. Ministers also praised the double-digit growth in trade between the two countries in recent years.
The first round of 2+2 talks between India and the United States took place in New Delhi on September 6, 2018. Since these initial talks, both countries have sought to strengthen economic and strategic ties.
The US is the second-largest defense exporter to India, with sales expected to reach $15 billion this year, but Washington has expressed concern after India signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to purchase the S-400 missile defense system.
