2+2 meet: Pompeo, Esper to arrive in India today

October 26, 2020 09:01

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark T Esper will arrive in New Delhi on Monday for the third edition of the two-plus-two ministerial dialogue which is taking place just a week ahead of the American presidential election and in the midst of India's festering border row with China.

The two-plus-two dialogue will be held on Tuesday.

The Indian side at the talks will be represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

A host of crucial bilateral, regional and global issues including China's efforts to expand influence in the Indo-Pacific region as well as its aggressive behaviour in eastern Ladakh is likely to figure in the talks.

In the last few months, the US has been ramping up attack on China over a range of contentious issues including the border row with India, its military assertiveness in the South China Sea and the way Beijing handled the anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

Pompeo and Esper will have bilateral meetings with their Indian counterparts as well.

They are also scheduled to make a joint call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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