US, India hold Intersessional Dialogue: reaffirm commitment to enhance ties
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New Delhi: India and the United States held the 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue on August 25 amid the ongoing trade and tariff tensions to review strategic priorities and enhance defence and security cooperation.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the meeting was co-chaired virtually by Additional Secretary (Americas) Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur and Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Vishwesh Negi from the Indian side, and Bethany P. Morrison, Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, along with Jedidiah P. Royal, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, from the US side.
The MEA stated that officials used the dialogue to advance bilateral initiatives, deliberate on regional security developments, and exchange views on several shared strategic priorities, TNIE reported.
A major focus of the meeting was on finalising a new ten-year framework for the India–US Major Defence Partnership. Both sides reportedly expressed their willingness to strengthen collaboration across multiple defence-related areas, including industrial cooperation, science and technology, operational coordination, regional engagement, and intelligence sharing.
The discussions also covered a wide range of other sectors, such as trade and investment, civil-nuclear energy, critical minerals, counterterrorism, and counternarcotics. Officials from both countries reaffirmed their commitment to building on the progress made under the India-US COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) framework.
The intersessional dialogue acted as a mid-cycle review of the broader 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which brings together the foreign and defence ministers of both nations.
Emphasising a shared regional vision, the MEA noted that the chairs reiterated their commitment to promoting a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific through cooperation within the Quad.
The meeting ended with both countries appreciating the growing depth of their strategic partnership and agreeing to work towards further strengthening ties for their mutual benefit.