India, US likely to hold third edition of 'two-plus-two' dialogue on October 26-27

India and the United States are expected to hold the third edition of the two-plus-two ministerial dialogue in New Delhi on October 26-27 amid rising tensions with China. Both India and the US have aggressively responded to China’s expansionist and coercive policies in the region, and are likely to discuss expanding the scope of strategic cooperation by signing important agreements.

India’s External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister will hold the 2+2 ministerial dialogue with their US counterparts. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper are scheduled to visit India for the ministerial-level talks. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India’s side during the meeting.

Pompeo and Esper are expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on the sidelines of the ministerial dialogue. Both sides are also likely to sign the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for geo-spatial cooperation after they agreed to expedite the work of the deal earlier this year.

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BECA and other agreements

The signing of BECA could be a significant landmark in US-India strategic cooperation as it allows India to use global geospatial maps of the US for accuracy of stand-off weapons like cruise and ballistic missiles. The foundational agreements like General Security of Military Information Agreement, Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement, and Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement have already been activated, with both using each other’s designated military facilities for refuelling and replenishment.

The first edition of the two-plus-two dialogue was held in New Delhi in September 2018 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump approved the mechanism which is often used by Japan for its diplomatic exchange. The second and the previous 2+2 dialogue between India and the US was held in Washington in December 2019.

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(With PTI inputs)