New Delhi: Despite the ongoing strain in ties at the highest levels between India and the US, the strategic relationship between the two countries in sectors such as trade and investment, energy security and civil-nuclear cooperation continues to move forward, with the 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue held Monday.
“Through this dialogue, officials advanced bilateral initiatives, discussed regional security developments, and exchanged perspectives on a number of shared strategic priorities. They discussed trade and investment; energy security, including strengthening civil-nuclear cooperation; critical minerals exploration; counternarcotics and counterterrorism cooperation; and more,” said a readout published by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Tuesday.
“Both sides looked forward to increasing defence cooperation, including signing a new ten-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership, as well as advancing defence industrial, science, and technology cooperation; operational coordination; regional cooperation; and information-sharing.”
The two sides also “reaffirmed their commitment” for a “safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific” through the Quad (grouping of India, US, Japan and Australia).
Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur, Additional Secretary (Americas) in the MEA, and Vishwesh Negi, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence, represented India at the virtual dialogue.
The US side was represented by Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Bethany P. Morrison and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Jedidiah P. Royal.
The 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue comes amid strained ties between India and the US. A 25% “penalty” or additional tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Indian goods came into force Wednesday. With the latest levies, tariffs imposed by the White House on Indian imports are at 50%, one of the highest among all of America’s trading partners.
Trump has taken particular exception to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, with senior officials in his administration accusing New Delhi of war-profiteering. India’s imports of Russian oil touched $56 billion in the 2024-2025 financial year.
India’s purchase of Russian oil has increased in the last few years due to the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. That year, the G7 member-states, including the US, UK and France, imposed a $60 per barrel price cap on the sale of Russian oil. The price cap was designed to keep global markets stable and with India’s interest in mind, Eric Garcetti, former US ambassador to India, had acknowledged last year.
Despite being urged by the previous US administration to purchase Russian oil to stabilise global energy markets, the Trump administration has taken a wholly different view of the issue in the past few weeks.
The US has also remained frustrated over apparently stalled negotiations for a trade deal with India. New Delhi has been unwilling to concede to opening India’s agricultural and dairy sectors to US exports, except with a few exceptions. A fresh round of trade negotiations that was scheduled for 25 August has been postponed.
Furthermore, there have been tensions over Trump taking credit for mediating an end to the May conflict between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has maintained that the conflict ended due to a bilateral understanding reached between its military and Islamabad.
The fraught India-US ties have seen large parts of the new agenda set forth during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House earlier this year being impacted.
However, at the 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue, the “participants agreed to build upon the progress made in (various) areas under the auspices of the US-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century and beyond”.
“The dialogue concluded with the chairs expressing their appreciation for the productive meeting and eagerness to continue enhancing the breadth and depth of the bilateral relationship in a manner that benefits the people of America and India,” the MEA readout said.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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