US Deputy Secretary to visit India ahead of 2+2 meet

Washinton DC, October 10: Ahead of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue later this year, the US is sending his top diplomat Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun to India next week to meet senior officials. According to the US Dept of State, he will deliver the keynote remarks at the India-US Forum to further strengthen strategic partnerships to counter the Chinese expansion in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

According to the US, Stephen Biegun will travel to India on October 12-14. "From October 12-14, the Deputy Secretary will visit New Delhi, India where he will meet with senior government officials and deliver keynote remarks at the India-U.S. Forum," US Dept of State said.

 

He will take follow up on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s October 6 conversation with Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar in Tokyo. The meeting was mainly focused on various aspects of bilateral ties and ways to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

"Deputy Secretary Biegun’s engagements in India will focus on advancing US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and how the United States and India can work together to advance peace, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the globe," US Dept of State said.

 

After vising Indian Secretary Biegun will travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh to meet with senior government officials and reaffirm the United States-Bangladesh partnership. His engagements will focus on advancing our common vision of a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and secure Indo-Pacific region with shared prosperity for all; U.S.-Bangladesh cooperation on COVID-19 response and recovery efforts; and sustainable economic development.