06 September 2018•Update: 06 September 2018
By Shuriah Niazi
NEW DELHI, India
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday held talks with top Indian officials to deepen bilateral ties particularly in the fields of security and defense.
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hosted the U.S. leaders in the first edition of the talks dubbed '2+2'.
According to news agency Press Trust of India, Swaraj said she was confident that the outcome of the talks will help unleash the untapped potential of the relationship between the two nations and further elevate the level of engagement.
Pompeo, reportedly, said both sides would continue to ensure "freedom of the sea and work toward peaceful resolutions of territorial and maritime disputes", a reference to China's claims in the South China Sea which are contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The top diplomats and defense ministers also held separate meetings.
Analysts predict India's proposed purchase of the S-400 defense system from Russia and oil imports from Iran would also be discussed in the meeting.
India will seek a waiver from the U.S. on oil imports from Iran after Washington slammed sanctions on Tehran following U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, the report said citing sources.
India also plans to buy five Russian S-400 defence systems despite sanctions by the U.S. against Moscow.
The two top U.S. officials arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday, following a visit to Pakistan, India's archrival.
