US: Ajit Doval to hold meetings with Trump administration officials
A week after the successful India-US 2+2 Dialogue in New Delhi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is in Washington to hold meetings with top officials of Trump Administration. Doval is scheduled to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department today. Doval is also likely to meet his American counterpart John Bolton and officials from Department of Defense.
India is a very close friend of America: US spokesperson
"India is a very close friend of the United States," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said at her daily news conference. She had accompanied Pompeo to New Delhi last week for the 2+2 Dialogue. The signing of the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement or COMCASA last week, she said, was something important that had been in the making for a long time.
COMCASA supports better military-to-military cooperation, says Nauert
"We were pleased to have signed that (COMCASA) with Indian Government because that not only supports jobs but also supports better military-to-military cooperation," Nauert said. "They also agreed to do more work on the military-to-military front. So that was part of the conversation but also to go over there and thank the new government for our strong friendship that we have," she said.
India-US likely to discuss security in Afghanistan-Pakistan region
During the meetings, discussions are likely to be primarily focused on security in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, in particular, those related to counter-terrorism. It's understood that the visit is likely to lay the groundwork of the potential visit of US President Donald Trump to India.
Trump has accepted invitation from Modi to visit India
Trump has accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit India. The two sides are currently looking at various dates including Trump as Chief Guest at the mega Republic Day Parade on January 26, 2019. Responding to a question on Pompeo's trip to Pakistan, the spokesperson said the Secretary of State had some meaningful and important meetings with the new government.
