PM Modi, Donald Trump set future directions for India-US relationship

New Delhi, Sep 6 Taking their strategic partnership to a new level, India and United States of America on Thursday sat for the inaugural 2+2 Dialog. The meeting was gone to by External Affairs Minsiter Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and US Secretary of States Michael R. Pompeo and US Secretary of Defence James N. Mattis.

In her opening remarks Swaraj said that significant progress has been made in the India-US relationship since June 2017 when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had met and set future headings for boosting the relationship between the two countries. "Prime Minister Modi and President Trump set future directions for our relationship. I am happy to note that there has been huge progress in all key areas of our relationship," Swaraj said.

Swaraj expressed confidence that the decisions taken in this first 2+2 Dialog will help in unleashing the untapped potential of relations between India and the US. "I am sure that our discussions and decisions that we will take today will help unleash the undiscovered capability of our connection and further lift the level of our partnership," she said.

In his opening statement, Pompeo said efforts will be made to guarantee freedom of the navigation and overflight, tranquil goals of the oceanic question and advancement of market-based financial aspects.

"Our two countries are united by shared values of democracy, respect for individual rights and a shared commitment to freedom. Given those values, India and the United States have a cnatural starting point. We should keep on ensuring freedom of the seas, skies, uphold the peaceful resolutions of the maritime disputes, advance market-based financial aspects and great administration and avoid outer monetary intimidation," Pompeo said

Sitharaman said that the meeting was a reflection of efforts made by the two nations in developing the ties in the course of recent years. "This meeting is a reflection of tremendous focus that we have made in building up our ties over recent years. It is a solid acknowledgment of the enormous capability of our respective organization for advantage of our kin, area and past," the Defence Minister included.

Sitharaman also emphasised that the beginning of the first ever 2+2 Dialog between the two countries is a solid appearance of the vision of Prime Minister Modi and President Trump to take India-US relationship to a higher trajectory.

Prior, Swaraj and Pompeo held bilateral talks. "1+1 preceding 2+2! EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a gainful gathering with United States Secretary of State@SecPompeo," Ministry of External Affairs spokepserson Raveesh Kumar tweeted while saying the discussions show lifting and reinforcing vital association between the two nations. "The two sides checked out great walks in our bilateral relationship and talked about strides to take our relationship to an even higher trajectory," he added.