India-USA 2+2 Dialogue 2020

• 28 Oct 2020

Why in News

Recently, India and the USA have concluded the 3^rd India-USA 2+2 dialogue in New Delhi.

• The USA reiterated its support to India in defending its territorial sovereignty in the background of the ongoing standoff between India-China.
• It also referred to the greater threats posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region and by the Covid-19 pandemic in general.
• The first two rounds of these dialogues between both the countries were held in 2018 and 2019.

Key Points

• India has signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) with the USA.
  
  • BECA will enable the exchange of geospatial data and information between the two countries and will improve the accuracy of India’s missiles in precision strikes.
  • The geospatial maps and charts to be shared, will be acquired from multiple sources like satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), reconnaissance aircraft, aerostats among others.
  • As part of measures to enhance military to military cooperation, Liaison Officers at each other's establishments could be leveraged to enhance information sharing.
  • BECA is one of the four foundational military communication agreements between the two countries. The other three are:
    
    • General Security Of Military Information Agreement.
    • Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement.
    • Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement.
• Both countries released a Joint Statement on shared Indo-USA goals in the Asia-Pacific region and emphasised that the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea should not prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of any nation in accordance with international law.
  
  • They also decided to expand joint capacity building activities with partner countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Other Steps Taken:
  
  • Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Technical Cooperation in Earth Observations and Earth Sciences.
  • Agreement to extend the duration of the MoU on the Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership.
  • Agreement on the electronic exchange of customs data.
  • Letter of intent regarding cooperation in traditional Indian medicines.
  • Discussions on the status of Afghanistan and support for its peace process.

‘2+2’ Dialogue

• 2+2 Ministerial is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries.
• It is a format of dialogue where the defence/foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country.
• India holds such talks with Australia, Japan and the USA.

Way Forward

• The signing of BECA is a significant achievement for India as it is a sign of the USA accepting the Indian request for cooperation in the advanced field of maritime domain awareness.
• India-USA’s national security convergences have grown closer in a more multipolar world and the meetings as well as the agreements not only advance their individual interests but also ensure that the bilateral cooperation between them makes a positive contribution in the world arena.

Source: TH