2+2 dialogue amid U.S. presidential election

What is 2+2 Dialogue?

It is a format of dialogue where the defense and foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country. 2+2 Ministerial is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries.

• India holds such talks with Australia, at the foreign secretary and defense secretary level but with Japan and the US at the ministerial level.
• First was held in New Delhi in September 2018.

Why 2+2 dialogue amid US presidential election be called as gamble?

1. Paris Climate Change Agreement- 2016, Just month before US presidential election- U.S. urging India to sign this agreement at the earliest.

• S.’s commitment to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 as part of a Green Climate Fund (GCF) to help developing countries such as India with climate adaptation methods and renewable technologies.
• However, newly elected President, Trump, announced that the U.S. would exit the Paris agreement, and also revoked U.S. promises towards the GCF, calling it “very unfair”.

2. Un-cleared election result– All presidential polls and predictions for the US Electoral College points to a probable win for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

• In the event Mr. Biden wins the election, India will hardly have endeared itself to the incoming administration by making strong statements of solidarity with Trump policy, strategic or otherwise.

Why the upcoming 2+2 dialogue is important to India?

Significance of 2+2 dialogue-

1. Indo-Pacific– On the maritime sphere, discussions will include strengthening ties in the Indo-Pacific region and also include discussions on how free nations can work together to thwart the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.

• BECA Agreement – The U.S. wants India to sign the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA), at the India-U.S. 2+2 ministerial dialogue.
• This agreement would facilitate exchange of geospatial information between India and United States for both military and civilian use.

2. LAC front– US could promise to keep the pressure on Pakistan on terrorism, despite the US need for Pakistan’s assistance in Afghan-Taliban talks.
3. Trade issues– U.S. should be pushed on resolving trade issues with India and perhaps commit to restoring India’s Generalized System of Preferences status for exporters.

• The government could press for more cooperation on 5G technology sharing, or an assurance that its S-400 missile system purchase from Russia will receive an exemption from the U.S.’s Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA)

Way forward-

• The third edition of the two-plus-two dialogue between India and the US will entail a comprehensive discussion on cross-cutting bilateral issues as well as deliberations on regional and global developments. Unlike the experience of 2016, government must drive a harder bargain to consolidate the pay-offs from the visit.