NEW DELHI – India will host US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and defencechief James Mattis in September for high-level talks that were postponedtwice earlier, the foreign ministry said Friday.

The meeting comes amid differences between the two countries over tradeissues and the US threat of sanctions on Delhi if it continues to deal withIran — its key energy supplier — or Russia.

Pompeo and Mattis will hold talks with Indian Foreign Minister SushmaSwaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 6 in what iscalled the 2+2 dialogue, the foreign ministry spokesman said.

“The 2+2 meeting will cover a broad range of bilateral, regional and globalissues of shared interest, with a view to strengthening strategic andsecurity ties between the two countries,” he said in a statement.

The talks were first meant to be held in April and then in June but theywere postponed on both the occasions, triggering speculation of a possiblerift between the two countries.

In 2016 the US designated India a “Major Defence Partner” with the aim ofimproving military cooperation and cutting red tape to ease defence deals.

But ties appear to have cooled down after US exited from the nuclear dealbetween Iran and world powers in May and said it would reimpose economicsanctions on the Islamic republic and its business partners by November 4.

It also warned countries including China and India, who are key buyers ofIranian oil, that they should stop purchasing crude from the country beforethe November deadline or face US sanctions.

The US has also threatened sanctions on any country doing business withRussia’s defence and intelligence sectors.

India, the world’s top defence importer, had been in talks with Russia tobuy missile systems when the sanctions were announced and New Delhi hassaid the sanctions would not affect ties with Moscow. – APP/AFP