India and the US on Thursday held the first edition of the 2+2 dialogue in New Delhi, in which the major takeaways were the signing of the long-pending Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) and setting up of a hotline between External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister with their American counterparts. After being canceled twice in the last 14 months, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held the 2+2 dialogue with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis. “Signing of Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) will enable India to access advanced technologies from the US,” Sitharaman said during the joint press briefing.
Swaraj said both the sides also agreed on working together towards entry of India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). “We have agreed to speed up the process of India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group,” Swaraj said. In January, the Donald Trump administration had endorsed India’s quest for membership into the exclusive club but New Delhi has faced roadblocks from Beijing, which has insisted that India was not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

India and the US on Thursday held the first edition of the 2+2 dialogue in New Delhi, in which the major takeaways were the signing of the long-pending Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) and setting up of a hotline between External Affairs Minister and Defence Minister with their American counterparts. After being canceled twice in the last 14 months, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held the 2+2 dialogue with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis. “Signing of Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) will enable India to access advanced technologies from the US,” Sitharaman said during the joint press briefing.
Swaraj said both the sides also agreed on working together towards entry of India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). “We have agreed to speed up the process of India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group,” Swaraj said. In January, the Donald Trump administration had endorsed India’s quest for membership into the exclusive club but New Delhi has faced roadblocks from Beijing, which has insisted that India was not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.