US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark T Esper will be in India for 2+2 dialogue to meet their counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh on October 27. The dialogue between these two countries is taking place at a time when major political developments are taking place globally.

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "The 3rd India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue will entail a comprehensive discussion on cross-cutting bilateral issues of mutual interest. In addition, both sides will also exchange views on salient regional and global issues." The two US ministers will also meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and PM Modi.

India-China standoff to be discussed

Among the most important issues which the two sides will be discussing is the standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh. India and China are engaged in a tense standoff since April along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The situation got worst on June 15th after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action in the Galwan Valley. The United States has called out China multiple times for its undue aggression with India.

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the meeting would set direction for further cooperation.Twitter

Moreover, India and the United States may have a military deal next week over satellite data. After this agreement, India can detect missiles and drones from satellite data. Government and industry officials have given this information. It is believed that this will help keep an eye on the PLA and their activities.

The US is emphasizing strong security ties with India to counter China's growing regional influence. US companies have sold weapons worth more than $ 21 billion to India since 2007. The US is considering signing a Basics Exchange and Co-operation Agreement (BECA) deal with the Indian government. After this deal, both countries will be able to share intelligence and information.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Donald TrumpReuters

What is 2+2 strategic dialogue?

The 2+2 dialogue is the institutional mechanism between India and the USA that brings together the perspectives of the two countries on foreign policy, defence and strategic issues. It is a format of dialogue where the defence and foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country