Why in news?
India & the US have moved to strengthen their strategic relationship by initiating what is known as ‘Two plus Two’ diplomacy.
What is ‘Two plus Two’?
- In foreign policy parleys, ‘Two plus Two’ is the term used for the institutionalisation of a dialogue mechanism between two countries consisting of the key ministries of defence & external affairs.
- The 2+2 format draws on a framework Japan used for its strategic interactions with the US, France, Russia and Australia.
- India & Japan too have a similar mechanism between them since 2010.
What are the contours of the recent Indo-US initiative?
- Hopes - Diplomats in both the countries hope that the mechanism will place the strategic and security interests between the two countries on centre stage.
- This they believe would help in better handling of common challenges like Chinese aggression & West Asia crisis.
- Cautions - Both countries need to resist being seduced by the idea that process alone can resolve the issues in the relationship.
- It is to be noted that, there are now over 60 India-US bilateral institutions but there is also mounting ire in Washington DC over what it sees as New Delhi’s chronic failure to use them to their potential.
- Bureaucratic inertia, legal issues, suspicions of the other’s motives are sticky points that needs to be addressed.
- Lack of clarity on what the two seek from the other strategic relationship is also a source of worry.
- More specifically, the existence of a dialogue mechanism alone will not itself insulate the strategic relationship from the fallout of simmering rows over intellectual property rights and trade.
Source: Indian Express
