By Arul Louis New York, Nov 24, : The timing for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialog of the top diplomats of India and the US that was scheduled to take place in the early part of next month is now uncertain due to the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to New Delhi.
At Tuesday’s briefing in Washington, State Department spokesperson Ned Price stated that the annual meeting was being pushed back to January 2022.
I can assure that there will soon be an opportunity to have a 2+2.
Washington hosts the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue of India’s External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austen.
Putin is expected to visit India in the early part of next month with Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister, and Sergey Shoygu, and media reports suggest that India and Russia will launch their 2+2 ministerial meetings at this time.
The Indian ministers would have to be present in India during Putin’s visit, regardless of whether or not the 2+2 takes effect.This would reduce the window for holding ministerial dialogues with the US since the holiday season is approaching in the USA.
Due to Washington’s opposition and threat of sanctions under The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, (CAATSA), the arrival of components of the Russian Triumf S-400 missile-air defence system this month casts doubt over India-US relations
Price stated that the US has yet to decide whether to impose sanctions against India.
In his question, the reporter raised the possibility that the S-400 delivery might have caused delays in the 2+2 meeting.However, Price stated that it was not.
He stated that he had committed to the 2+2 because of India’s significant relationship, including its status in defense partnership.
He said that the S-400 issue was raised at “the highest levels” of the Indian government.
“It’s been ongoing with our Indian partners.It’s a conversation that takes places in the context a defense relationship that is meaningful for us, that is important both for the US and India, and in the context a free and open Indo-Pacific.I expect that these conversations will continue.
“We have been very clear about this system, not just in the endgame context, but also more broadly, that we’ve urged our allies, all our partners, to forgo transactions with Russia that could trigger sanctions under the so-called CAATSA,” he said.
The US has placed sanctions on Turkey, its NATO ally, for purchasing the S-400 system.
Price discussed the dilemma that the US faces when it comes to imposing sanctions against India for its S-400 acquisition at a time their defense and strategic ties are increasing while they are facing an aggressive China.
“We also know that India’s defense relationship has grown and deepened significantly over the past years.
It has grown in proportion to the deep and broad relationship we have with India, and its status of a major defense partner.We expect this momentum to continue in our defense relationship.
We are very proud of our strategic partnership with India.
He stated that members of Congress are also interested in the subject.
Ted Cruz, three Republican Senators, introduced legislation to exempt India.
Cruz stated that “countering China’s aggressive behavior requires viable partners in Asia, and beyond, and the US–Indian relationship has become an integral part of our multilateral efforts.”
Their proposed legislation, the “Circumspectly Reduce Unintended Consequences Impairing Alliances and Leadership Act of 2021″(CRUCIAL Act), seeks to exempt Quad members from sanctions for ten year.
Japan and Australia, which are the other two members in the four-nation group do not have defense transactions with Russia.
However, adding them to the legislation would make the legislation more acceptable to Senator Bob Menendez (Democrat), who has opposed a waiver for India.This would give the impression that the legislation is not about India and instead focus on China’s aggressiveness.
Senator Mark Warner (Democrat) and John Cronyn, a Republican panel member, have written to President Joe Biden opposing the imposition of sanctions against India.
Cronyn is a cochair of the Senate Caucus on India, Indian Americans and Cronyn led a Congressional delegation that visited India earlier in the month and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the prime minister’s office, the meeting was recorded and read out.It stated that they “noticed the increasing convergence in strategic interests between the strategic partners and expressed willingness to further enhance cooperation with the aim to promote global stability and peace.”
The last meeting of India-US 2+2, which alternates between New Delhi, Washington, was held in India in Oct 2020 with then-US officials Secretary of State Mike Pompeo & Defence Secretary Mark Esper.
(Arul Louis can reached at arul.l@ians.in or followed @arulouis
al/ksk/ #Putins #India #doubt #ministerial #dialog #Delhi
.
