Pompeo calls Swaraj, expresses 'regret' over strategic dialogue postponement

New Delhi: In a late-evening development on Wednesday, the United States has requested India to postpone the bilateral strategic 2+2 dialogue that was to take place in the US on July 6 between the Foreign and Defence Ministers of both countries.

Speculation is rife that this could be due to the American preoccupation with the crucial forthcoming Summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Sources told this newspaper that the postponement by the US had nothing to do with India but was due to scheduling reasons.

US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo  conveyed “regret and deep disappointment” over the postponement due to “unavoidable reasons” in a phone call to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and sought India’s “understanding”. The two ministers then agreed to identify “mutually convenient dates” to hold the Dialogue “at the earliest”. 

Confirming the postponement late Wednesday evening, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, “US @SecPompeo spoke to EAM @SushmaSwaraj  a short while ago to express his regret and deep disappointment at the US having to postpone the 2+2 Dialogue for unavoidable reasons. US @SecPompeo  sought EAM @SushmaSwaraj understanding, and they agreed to identify new mutually convenient dates to hold the Dialogue at the earliest, in India or the US.” 

There was speculation too whether divergence between the India and US on Iran could have anything to do with the postponement but that may seem unlikely, given the two countries have already affirmed holding the dialogue on fresh dates. India has already made it clear it will not toe the US line on sanctions against Iran as it recognises only sanctions imposed by the United Nations against any country.  

India and the United States were to meet for their “2+2 dialogue” at the foreign and defence ministerial level on July 6, where the two sides were “expected to share perspectives on strengthening their strategic and security ties and exchange views on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.” 

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman were to travel to the United States for the meeting while US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James N. Mattis were to represent the American side.

Despite disagreements at the trade level, the two countries have been continuing with their strategic engagement and areas of convergence such as the Indo-Pacific region and the fight against terrorism. 

India had recently built bridges with China and shored up its strategic ties with Russia through informal summits between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Wuhan and between PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Sochi in Russia.