The meeting was described as “productive", with both delegations committing to deepening the partnership.
New Delhi: Senior officials from India and the United States held the virtual 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue on August 25, where they reviewed ongoing initiatives and explored ways to strengthen cooperation across a wide range of areas.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Bethany P Morrison, Senior Bureau Official for the US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and Jedidiah P Royal, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. From the Indian side, Additional Secretary Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur of the Ministry of External Affairs and Joint Secretary Vishwesh Negi of the Ministry of Defense led the discussions.
Both sides discussed regional security developments as well as cooperation on trade and investment, energy security, civil nuclear collaboration, exploration of critical minerals, and counterterrorism and counternarcotics initiatives.
The August 26 meeting marked the first official-level dialogue since the August 6 announcement by US President Donald Trump’s administration that imposed tariffs on Indian goods, highlighting ongoing engagement between India and the United States, signalling that even if the White House has emphasized US initiatives publicly, the dialogue reflects carefully built institutional cooperation.
The officials also looked forward to finalising a new ten-year framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership, alongside advancing cooperation in the defense industry, science and technology, operational coordination, regional engagements, and information sharing. The dialogue took place under the framework of the US-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology).
