NEW YORK– India and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation across strategic and economic sectors, even as relations face strain over tariffs and U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of mediation in South Asia.
Senior officials of the two countries held a virtual U.S.-India 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue on Monday, where they discussed trade, security, and regional priorities. Both Washington and New Delhi issued readouts that struck a positive tone, underscoring a shared desire to “advance bilateral initiatives” and deepen ties.
According to the statements, the consultations covered trade and investment, civil-nuclear cooperation, critical minerals exploration, energy security, counternarcotics, and counterterrorism. Officials also exchanged views on regional security and reaffirmed support for the Quad grouping of India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia.
The dialogue came just as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security circulated a draft notice imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, on top of the earlier reciprocal tariffs announced. Despite this, the talks reaffirmed momentum on defence collaboration. Both sides said they looked forward to signing a new ten-year Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership, with greater focus on industrial, scientific, and technological cooperation, operational coordination, and information-sharing.
External Affairs Additional Secretary Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur and Defence Joint Secretary Vishwesh Negi co-chaired the meeting for India, while Bethany Morrison of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and Jedidiah P. Royal, Acting Assistant Defence Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, represented the U.S.
The intersessional dialogue, held between ministerial-level meetings, reviews progress and sets the agenda until the next 2+2 dialogue. The last such ministerial took place in November in New Delhi with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
In addition, both governments stressed continuity under the U.S.-India COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology), which serves as a framework to expand cooperation into the 21st century and beyond.
The reaffirmation of partnership comes even as Trump has insisted he personally mediated an end to the 2024 Operation Sindoor conflict between India and Pakistan — a claim flatly denied by New Delhi. (Source: IANS)
