Washington, Aug 22 (PTI) Amid increased India-Pak tension, the United States will host an intersessional meeting of the US-India 2+2 Dialogue in California on Thursday to discuss ways to advance cooperation on critical diplomatic and security priorities.

The intersessional meeting is aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership, the State Department said Wednesday.

"During the Intersessional, the two sides will discuss ways to advance cooperation on critical diplomatic and security priorities, including our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and review preparations for the next 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue,” the State Department said.

The American delegation is being led jointly by the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs Randall Schriver.

Meanwhile, on Friday, during the fourth US-India Maritime Security Dialogue, the two sides will exchange views on maritime developments in the Indo-Pacific region and consider steps to further strengthen bilateral maritime security cooperation, the official US statement said.

Both the 2+2 intersessional meeting and Maritime Security Dialogue will be held at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey in California, it said.

The interactions will lay the ground work for the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to the US later this fall.

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