The United States said Thursday that the Basic Communication and Exchange Agreement (BECA), a defense pact on the exchange of geospatial information, is “in the works” at next week’s upcoming 2 + 2 ministerial dialogue with India.
A senior US official also said that the situation in the Line of Royal Control (LAC), where India is at a standstill with China, will likely feature in the talks, and that the United States has been watching the situation closely.
Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper, the US Secretaries of State and Defense, will arrive in New Delhi on Monday for the third annual 2 + 2 ministerial meeting with their Indian counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh. They will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We are in the process of finalizing many of the discussions at this time. And so I know that BECA and other deals are in the works, ”Dean R. Thompson, Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, told reporters when asked about BECA. “I don’t think I’m going to commit to anything at this point, but we hope to have several highlights as we go through the journey.
Also read: India-USA 2 plus 2 from October 26 to 27, the BECA geospatial pact will be signed
The two parties are expected to sign BECA, the fourth and last of the so-called foundational defense agreements during 2 + 2, and a pact for the exchange of maritime information. At an expert group event on Wednesday, Secretary Esper said he did not rule out signing the maritime agreement.
In response to a question about whether tensions along the border with China will figure in the talks, Thompson said: “I certainly think the situation, you know, on the Line of Royal Control will probably be discussed at some point. And, you know, we are watching the situation closely. “
The US State Department official said the 2 + 2 format “is reserved for our closest friends and associates and reflects our belief that the United States and India are stronger, safer and more prosperous when we work together. ”.
Read also: On the India-US agenda. A plan to share defense information from Ladakh to the South China Sea
He added that the discussions will focus on global cooperation in responding to the pandemic and the challenges in the Indo-Pacific, economic space and energy collaboration, ties between peoples and cooperation in defense and security.
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