External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his American counterpart Mike Pompeo, have spoken over phone and discussed the bilateral and multilateral cooperation on issues of international concern, including efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Both of them also deliberated over the Indo-Pacific region, supporting the peace process in Afghanistan, and addressing recent destabilizing actions in the region, said Cale Brown, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, in a readout of the telephonic conversation.
The importance of boosting cooperation in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region against the backdrop of China spreading its influence there and the need to ensure a free, open, and thriving Indo-Pacific, considering China’s rising military maneuvering in the region, has been a topic of discussion between India and the US. The issue was discussed extensively during the third round of the India-US Maritime Security Dialogue which took place in Goa in 2018.
The recent Chinese aggression in Eastern Ladakh was also taken up in the conversation. The US has been highly supportive of India on the border issues between the two sides.
“Both leaders agreed to continue close cooperation on a full range of regional and international issues and look forward to Quadrilateral consultations and the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue later this year,” said Brown.
The quadrilateral coalition between India, the US, Australia, and Japan to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of Chinese influence had already been given shape in November 2017.
“The two leaders reiterated the strength of the India-US relationship to advance peace, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the globe,” Brown added.
The two leaders have been in regular communication during the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 7 lakh lives and infected nearly 19 million people worldwide.
