US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis are holding long-delayed talks with top Indian officials, looking to shore up the alliance with one of Washington’s top regional partners.
The so-called “2+2” talks are scheduled to last just a few hours on Thursday and focus on strategic and security issues.
They come amid a series of divisive issues, including Washington’s demands that India stop buying Iranian oil and Russian military supplies, and even news reports that President Donald Trump has mimicked the accent of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But with trade and strategic ties growing quickly between the US and India, both countries are keen to downplay potential diplomatic troubles.
Pompeo arrived in India after a short trip in Pakistan, where he met Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Pompeo, who was accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford, stayed in Islamabad for nearly five hours during which he also met Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa.
