India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval expressed hope that the United States will avoid undertaking any initiatives or decisions regarding its neighbouring countries that might negatively impact New Delhi's national interests.
Ajit Doval discussed its neighbouring issues at a delegation-level talk with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan on Wednesday, ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US next week, reports Economic Times.
Key discussion points in the meeting included China's rising ambitions in Asia, particularly within the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Other regional issues on the meeting's agenda were matters pertaining to Bangladesh and the Maldives.
Bangladesh and India are set to see national elections towards the end of the current year and the beginning of the next.
India articulated the expectation that the US would refrain from any actions or decisions concerning India's neighbours that could potentially undermine its national interests.
According to the source, China is expanding its presence in Myanmar alongside Pakistan through the economic corridor. This is expected to assist Beijing in future in enhancing its influence across the IOR.
Beijing has mapped out comprehensive plans to assert its supremacy in the Indian Ocean. To this end, it has been actively nurturing relationships with the Himalayan states, as well as with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Therefore, there is mounting concern in the US over China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and its escalating influence across the Pacific Ocean Region, a topic that was heavily discussed during the delegation-level talk between the national security advisors of the two nations.
US Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell was accompanying Sullivan during the meet.
