India and US Join Forces to Prevent Middle East Conflict Escalation: Key Topic at 2+2 Ministerial Meeting
Focus of India and the United States on preventing conflicts in the Middle East, as well as discussions on the Indo-Pacific, Russia, Ukraine, and bilateral issues. The 2+2 ministerial meeting will address defense co-production, democracy, human rights, clean energy, and more. China and Canada's investigation are also mentioned, along with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's concerns about Ukraine and immigration.
India and the United States are focused on preventing the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East, according to a senior official from the US State Department. This issue will be a key topic of discussion during the upcoming 2 2 ministerial meeting in New Delhi. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be attending the dialogue, along with their Indian counterparts External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. The agenda will also cover discussions on the Indo-Pacific region, Russia, Ukraine, and various bilateral issues.
The 2 2 Dialogue, established in 2018, allows the two countries to engage in high-level talks on strategic and defense matters. Cooperation between India and the US to maintain a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific will also be addressed. Additionally, the leaders will discuss the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as Russia's actions in Ukraine. Defense co-production with India has been a significant aspect of the 2 2 Dialogue in recent years, with a focus on producing world-class defense equipment to meet India's needs and contribute to global security.
The agenda will also cover efforts to advance democracy and human rights, as well as expanded cooperation in clean energy, counterterrorism, artificial intelligence, space, and semiconductor manufacture. China will be among the topics of discussion, as the US and India seek to support a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The US has also urged India to cooperate with Canada in an investigation into allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently fell victim to a prank call from Russian pranksters, who were pretending to be the head of the African Union Commission.
In the call, Meloni expressed concern about international support for Ukraine and the influx of Ukrainian migrants into Italy. She called for a resolution to the conflict that would be acceptable to all parties involved. Meloni also criticized Italy being left alone to deal with the issue of illegal immigration from Ukraine, noting a lack of support from international partners.