Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an online meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday, ahead of the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, officials in Washington and New Delhi said.
The two leaders will review ongoing bilateral co-operation and exchange views on recent developments in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region and global issues of mutual interest, India's foreign ministry said.
“The virtual meeting will enable both sides to continue their regular and high-level engagement aimed at further strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” the ministry said.
New Delhi and Washington will hold a fourth round of 2+2 dialogue, the highest form of bilateral discussions between the two countries.
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar have travelled to Washington for the two-day meeting with their US counterparts, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.
The dialogue comes during a period of friction between India and the US over New Delhi’s stand on Russia's offensive in Ukraine.
New Delhi has repeatedly refused to condemn Moscow's military aggression and at the UN abstained from US-sponsored resolutions against its Cold War-ally Russia.
India shares close diplomatic and strategic ties with Russia and relies heavily on it for weaponry.
New Delhi has further deepened its trade ties with Moscow and bought millions of barrels of Russian crude oil, despite western sanctions.
The two countries are planning to bypass the economic sanctions by introducing a rupee-rouble mechanism, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on a visit to New Delhi earlier in April.
Mr Biden in March said India’s stand on the crisis was “somewhat shaky” and a top US official warned New Delhi of “consequences” if it defied US sanctions.
The White House last week said Mr Biden believes Washington’s partnership with New Delhi is “one of the most important relationships” it has in the world.
