India-US 2+2 meeting: Indo-Pacific, counter-terror on agenda
New Delhi, Sep 4 : Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and counter-terrorism efforts as well as India's oil imports from Iran following a US ban will be among a host of issues that will come up at the first India-US 2+2 dialogue here on Thursday, New Delhi's biggest diplomatic engagement with Washington this year.
Ahead of the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, informed sources said that the Global Strategic Partnership between India and the US has got a fresh impetus under US President Donald Trump.
The 2+2 dialogue mechanism was announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in June last year and this replaces the earlier strategic and commercial dialogue and is set to become an annual affair.
The twice-deferred meeting was earlier scheduled for July 6 in Washington. But, it was put off purportedly because of Pompeo's North Korea visit for unscheduled meetings with its officials.
Before that, the first 2+2 meeting in April, also to be hosted by the US, was called off after Trump suddenly sacked the then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Among the few countries the US has 2+2 dialogue are Australia and Japan.
According to the sources, two major areas of convergence between India and the US in recent times have been the Indo-Pacific region, which has emerged as a very important geostrategic area, and counter-terrorism efforts.
"In terms of regional issues, the Indo-Pacific issue will be discussed," an informed source said. "We want to know the US perspective on this."
As counter-terrorism is a subject of interest for both India and the US, designation of individuals and organisations as global terrorists is expected to be discussed.
While US has labelled leaders of Pakistan-based terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, much to India's satisfaction, New Delhi has similarly labelled al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent and the Islam State-Khorasan.
With the US imposing fresh sanctions on Iran over the country's nuclear programme, a major irritant that has arisen is its ramifications on India's oil imports from the West Asian nation.
With India-Iran bilateral economic ties dominated by crude oil imports, New Delhi will seek to sensitise the US how very energy import-reliant country India is.
According to the sources, price is an important factor here and the discussions will be around what the US expectations are whereas India will express its concerns and requirements.
India has also started oil and gas imports from the US after many years and, according to the sources, with an import target of $2.5 billion, it is also expected to address the bilateral trade deficit issue which is largely tilted in India's favour.
India supports UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that calls for comprehensive action on Iran's nuclear programmme and does not want it to become a nuclear state, but New Delhi is not opposed to Tehran getting access to clean civilian nuclear energy.
The sanctions on Iran have also put a shadow over the Chabahar port project in Iran, being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan.
The port gives access to Afghanistan by bypassing Pakistan and there have been concerns in Delhi about what the implications of the sanctions will be on the key project.
However, it is learnt that there has been an understanding that Chabahar is a larger regional issue on which Afghanistan too is talking with the US.
Defence has also emerged as a key pillar of bilateral ties, with the US designating India as a Major Defence Partner in 2016.
However, India has signed only one of three foundational agreements needed for interoperability with the US -- the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in 2016 -- and not the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement.
According to the sources, COMCASA is likely to come up for assessment during the 2+2 dialogue but an outcome cannot be prejudged at this juncture.
"Defence innovation is something important for us," an informed source said, adding that discussions have been held on the Defence Trade and Technology Innovation.
However, with the Trump administration's Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) coming into effect in January 2018, India's defence deals with other countries have come under the scanner.
CAATSA targets countries doing business with Russian, Iranian and North Korean defence companies and with India being a major defence partner of Russia, it has become a matter of concern.
The most controversial issue is India's purchase of four S-400 missile systems from Russia at a cost of more that Rs 40,000 crore.
US lawmakers have opposed this deal, citing its non-compatibility with US equipment but the sources here have said that India's defence ties with third countries will not come up for discussion in the 2+2 dialogue as it is essentially a bilateral meeting.
"CAATSA is a US law and it is for Washington to give a waiver," a source said.
Addressing the bilateral trade imbalance is also expected to be another issue of discussion during the upcoming dialogue.
Bilateral goods trade stood at $74.5 billion in 2017-18, with India having a trade surplus of $21.3 billion.
However, last month, India became the 37th country and the third Asian country after Japan and South Korea to be accorded Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 status by Washington, paving the way for the sale of high-technology products to New Delhi.
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SC asks states to treat rising child trafficking cases as grave; seeks coordinated action
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has voiced grave concern over rising cases of child trafficking, saying gangs are operating across the country and if States and Union territories do not take immediate action, thing will go beyond control.
The court said only the state government and its home department can act vigilantly in this regard.
“As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request”, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench was irked over the "lackadaisical" approach of several states and UTs in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan said the retrieval of children in some cases proves the problem can be tackled, but it requires a level of political and administrative will which is lacking at present.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated several institutional reforms, including completion of trials in trafficking cases within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and improving investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash."
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
