'We need India to face global challenges and solve big problems': US govt's big admission

After US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defence Mark T Esper participated in the India-US 2+2 meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, US Spokesperson of State Morgan Ortagus said that the US needs India's partnership to face many global challenges and to solve big problems on the world stage. Underlining that India-US relations go beyond political parties, Morgan Ortagus said that the relations between the two nations are 'really important' to the defence and security establishment of the two countries. 

Morgan Ortagus said, "The relationship goes beyond political parties, this relationship between the United States and India is important to everybody and our defence and security establishment, so you know we have many friends and allies of course around the world. But we have very selective partners like India, where we actually take the time to do the 2+2."

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Morgan Ortagus: 'India-US 2+2 dialogue is important'

While speaking to ANI, Morgan Ortagus said that as India has emerged on the global state, India-US 2+2 meet was very important because the partnership between the two nations can solve any problem at the global level. 'The relationship between India and the US has been around for a very long time and it will be around for much longer in future,' she added. Highlighting the current global competition, US spokesperson of State informed that both the countries are committed to the free and open Indo-Pacific. 

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Ortagus said that the partnership between the two nations will ensure freedom of navigation, freedom of the seas, free flow of trade of goods and exchange of ideas. She also informed that during India-US 2+2 dialogue, both the sides welcome the growing understanding on the Indo-Pacific among like-minded countries and agreed that the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea should not prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of any nation in accordance with International law. 

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Naming China as the strategic competitor of the US on many levels, Ortagus said that tensions between US and China have significantly increased in the recent months due to various issues including COVID-19 emergence, Hong Kong security law and Washington support to Taiwan. 

The Joint Statement released on the third India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue said that the two countries have reiterated their commitment for maintaining a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Apart from this, India and US have signed 5 key agreements that include the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) which will allow India real-time access to precision data and topographical image from the United States military satellites. 

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(With ANI inputs)