Top US Official Donald Lu to travel India ahead of 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

The US State Department informed on Saturday that Lu will be travelling to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and India from November 4-11.

Notably, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will be participating in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

During the 2+2 Dialogue this month, Lu will support Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin in advancing a wide range of issues, including areas of defense and security.

The Assistant Secretary will lead a US delegation to Central Asia to build on the success of the inaugural C5+1 Presidential Summit on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September and the C5+1 Regional Connectivity Ministerial in October, the statement read.

Following this, Lu will then travel to India to prepare for and support the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

Ahead of the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, Lu and the US delegation will meet with partners to discuss strategic coordination on regional and global issues, clean energy, and security cooperation.

During the 2+2 Dialogue, Lu will also support Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin in advancing a wide range of issues, including defense and security, regional developments, emerging tech, and cooperation in clean energy and space, the statement added.

During his visit in Astana, Lu will meet with senior Kazakh government officials and participate in the US-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue (ESPD).

During the ESPD, the US and Kazakhstan will discuss a range of issues of mutual concern including political and security cooperation, economic partnership, protection for human rights, and people-to-people ties. He also will engage with civil society to advance women and girls' empowerment and media freedom, the state department said.

Lu will then travel to Tashkent to lead the US delegation during the US-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership Dialogue (SPD).

During the SPD, Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with senior Uzbekistani government officials to discuss the ways in which the US and Uzbekistan can advance bilateral ties by expanding security partnership and discussing solutions to regional issues, strengthening people-to-people ties, and diversifying trade and investment.

Lu will also engage with civil society groups working on human rights issues. While in both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the US delegation will reaffirm Washington's "steadfast commitment" to Kazakhstan's and Uzbekistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence, the statement further read. (ANI)