Expert: 2+2 has the potential to strengthen the strong India-US cooperation.

 Expert: 2+2 has the potential to strengthen the strong India-US cooperation.

The US State Department had already announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit New Delhi the following week for the "2+2" meeting with Ministers of Defense Rajnath Singh as well as External Affairs S. Jaishankar.

An analyst believes that the two countries' 2+2 ministerial conversation in New Delhi this week has the potential to strengthen their strong collaboration, especially in the military sector.

Farwa Aamer, Director of South Asia Initiatives, Asia Society Policy Institute, stated that the dialogue will provide a forum for restating the United States and India's steadfast commitment to their global partnership along with their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, against the backdrop of a complex and constantly changing global landscape.

"The upcoming fifth U.S.-India 2+2 Parliamentary Dialogue, set to bring together high-ranking officials from both nations in New Delhi this week, carries the promise of developing a robust partnership that has seen remarkable progress, especially throughout the realm of defense cooperation," she said.

The US State Department had already announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit New Delhi the following week for the "2+2" meeting with Ministers of Defense Rajnath Singh and External Affairs S. Jaishankar.

According to Aamer, the discussion is occurring at a crucial moment when the Israel-Hamas war and the Ukrainian situation are both looming large.

The discussions will probably touch on these crises because they put the reformed international order that the US and India have been pushing for to the test. She added that even though these conflicts may not be directly related to the US-India relationship, they create a backdrop that impact the strategic dynamics alongside global perspective of both nations.

"On the Israel-Hamas conflict, India is considerably more aligned with the members of the Quad nations, which is indicative of India's increased engagement with like-minded partners on important international challenges," she said.

Furthermore, the United States can restate its demand that India assist the Canadian investigation, emphasizing the significance of abiding by international agreements. While this diplomatic maze may be difficult, it also serves as a warning that disagreements over particular matters won't stop the general upward trend in bilateral relations," the woman lamented.

"The goal of the discourse is to broaden the scope of collaboration into a variety of fields beyond these concerns. This goes beyond just military and includes counterterrorism, education, energy, health, and people-to-people relationships, according to Aamer.

"Technology transfer and co-production are now the center of attention in the defense industry, highlighting the significance of innovation in promoting military capabilities. Both the promotion of innovation via the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) and the Initiative to continue on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) are anticipated to be on the agenda. said she.

She said that the need to intensify climate action in advance of COP28 may also play a significant role in the conversation, pointing out that India's demand that wealthy countries achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 emphasizes the need of shared responsibility in tackling the pressing issue of climate change.

Furthermore, the U.S. delegation's upcoming meetings in Korea and Indonesia might benefit from the knowledge acquired from the previous 2+2 conference with India. Strengthening bilateral relations with these important regional partners may be achieved by leveraging agreements and shared interests with India, according to Aamer.

Any talk on the forthcoming APEC meeting and the general elections in both India and the US next year could be worth keeping an eye out for. For the former, given his domestic obligations and assembly election campaigns coinciding with the summit's scheduling, PM Modi, although being invited by President Biden as a guest, is unlikely to attend in person, the spokesperson said.

But there will also be an impact on U.S.-Indian ties from President Biden's anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping outside of the APEC gathering. India's viewpoint on these changes is crucial, given the changing Indo-Pacific dynamics, the tense India-China ties, and the larger global scene, she added. This meeting might influence the U.S. attitude to China.