Ahead of India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue, NSA Ajit Doval meets Mike Pompeo, Defence Secretary Mark Esper

India and US discussed many issues and challenges of strategic importance. Both sides highlighted the need to share objectives and build capabilities across all domains to ensure a safe, stable, and rule-based regional and global security environment.

New Delhi: Ahead of the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, at South Block, said sources.

"They discussed a number of issues and challenges of strategic importance. Both sides highlighted the need to take forward shared objectives and build capabilities across all domains so as to ensure a safe, stable and rule-based regional and global security environment," according to sources.

Earlier on Tuesday, both the top US administration officials visited the National War Memorial and paid tributes to India's fallen heroes. 

Both sides highlighted the need to take forward shared objectives and build capabilities across all domains so as to ensure a safe, stable and rule-based regional and global security environment, say sources. https://t.co/kKyaPRDscB

— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2020

At present, the 2+2 ministerial dialogue is ongoing, which is attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Pompeo and Esper. Later the two visiting Secretaries will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. 

The US officials then will leave for Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia.

Pompeo and Esper arrived in New Delhi on Monday for the 2+2 inter-ministerial talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The visit also comes at a time when India and China are locked in a serious military stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

Singh and Esper held talks yesterday, during which the defence ministers of the two countries reviewed bilateral defence cooperation spanning "military-to-military cooperation, secure communication systems and information sharing, defence trade and industrial issues" and also discussed ways to take bilateral cooperation forward.

The Indian Defence Ministry announced following the meeting between Esper and Singh that "the two Ministers expressed satisfaction that agreement of BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) will be signed during the visit.

"External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, also had a meeting on Monday wherein they agreed that US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership is "critical to the security and prosperity" of both the countries, the Indo-Pacific region and the world.