US postpones 2 plus 2 dialogue with India

The United States has postponed the ‘2 plus 2 dialogue' with India scheduled to be held in Washington next week. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet that US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo spoke to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and expressed his regret and deep disappointment for having to postpone the dialogue due to unavoidable reasons. 

The spokesman said, both leaders agreed to identify new mutually convenient dates to hold the dialogue at the earliest, in India or the US.

Mrs Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were to



travel to the US to take part in the meeting with Mr Pompeo and US Defence Secretary James Mattis on the 6th of next month.

Earlier this year, the dialogue had been postponed due to uncertainty over the confirmation of Mr Pompeo as new Secretary of State. Pompeo was later confirmed as Secretary of State in April.

The new dialogue format was agreed upon between the two sides during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington in June last year. The dialogue is seen as a vehicle to elevate the strategic relationship between the two countries.