India, US hold 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue amid tariff tensions

New Delhi: With President Donald Trump’s administration all set to impose an additional 25% duty on India’s exports to the United States, the senior officials of the two governments met in New Delhi and discussed trade, investment, energy security and critical minerals exploration.

They also discussed ways to strengthen India-US bilateral cooperation in civil nuclear energy and in combating the menace of narcotics and terrorism.

With New Delhi keen to stay the course in its strategic partnership with Washington, D.C., despite the Trump Administration’s tariff tirade, senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India had the India-US '2+2 Intersessional Dialogue' with their counterparts from the US.

“Through this dialogue, officials advanced bilateral initiatives, discussed regional security developments, and exchanged perspectives on a number of shared strategic priorities. They discussed trade and investment; energy security, including strengthening civil-nuclear cooperation; critical minerals exploration; counternarcotics and counterterrorism cooperation; and more,” a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Tuesday.

They discussed ways to increase defence cooperation, including signing a new ten-year Framework for the India–US Major Defence Partnership, as well as advancing defence industrial, science, and technology cooperation; operational coordination; regional cooperation; and information-sharing.

They agreed to build upon the progress made in these areas under the auspices of the India-US COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century and beyond.

They reaffirmed their commitment to promoting a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Indo-Pacific region through the Quad.

Additional Secretary (Americas) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur, and Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence, Vishwesh Negi, co-chaired the virtual India-US 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue alongside US Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Bethany P. Morrison and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Jedidiah P. Royal.