New York: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday during the 80th United Nations General Assembly session. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals.
On social media platform X, Secretary Rubio said the talks focused on “enhancing prosperity for both nations.” He highlighted collaboration in core sectors. He also mentioned that India and the US will continue working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad.
The US Department of State called India a “relationship of critical importance.” It praised India’s continued engagement on bilateral issues. EAM Jaishankar described the meeting as constructive. He stressed that sustained engagement is vital to advance priority areas.
This meeting was their first face-to-face interaction since trade tensions rose. The tariffs on Indian goods over Russia oil purchases had caused strain. The leaders had previously met in Washington in July at the 10th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and in January. Despite recent challenges, the meeting signals efforts to reinforce India-US ties and move toward stronger cooperation.
