India-Japan-US meet postponed; to be held in July after Narendra Modi's trip to Tokyo

NEW DELHI: The India-US-Japan trilateral dialogue scheduled for June 24 in Delhi has been postponed due to scheduling issues from the Japanese side, a development that takes away the opportunity from the new government to engage with the United States before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the US.

The dialogue will now be held later in July after Modi's trip to Tokyo, officials said.

The dialogue that was planned in advance was postponed as the head of the Japanese delegation had scheduling issues back home, officials said, adding that new dates would be announced soon. The US, which was looking for another opportunity to engage with the Modi government in quick succession, is said to be disappointed over the development.

The India-US-Japan trilateral dialogue, which began in 2011 and has been alternatively held in the three countries, has moved from the dialogue stage to concrete projects including connectivity projects in South East Asia and disaster management projects.

Defence and intelligence-sharing will also be taken up at this trilateral dialogue in near future amid growing Chinese footprints across the region.

Meanwhile, the much anticipated summit meeting between Modi and US President Barack Obama has been scheduled for September 30 in Washington.

Modi will travel to Washington from New York after addressing the UN General Assembly ( UNGA) - his first foray on the global stage.

The Indian prime minister will also hold bilateral meetings with other global leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA.