Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, holds wide-ranging talks
The meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio comes a day after Trump announced on Truth Social that India and the US agreed to a trade deal, under which Washington will bring down reciprocal tariff on Delhi from 25 to 18 per cent.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington and held a discussion on a wide range of topics covering bilateral, regional, and global issues ahead of an inaugural ministerial on critical minerals. Rubio welcomed Jaishankar at the Department of State on Tuesday afternoon (local time).
Jaishankar is on a visit to the United States from February 2-4 and will participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by Rubio on Wednesday.
Jaishankar meets Rubio
"Delighted to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon," Jaishankar wrote in a post on X after the meeting.
He said discussions focused on multiple facets of the India-US strategic partnership, including trade, energy, nuclear cooperation, defence, critical minerals and technology. "A wide-ranging conversation that covered our bilateral cooperation agenda, regional and global issues," Jaishankar said.
EMA said that both sides agreed on holding early meetings of various bilateral mechanisms to advance shared interests.
It is pertinent to mention that the meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio comes a day after Trump announced on Truth Social that India and the US agreed to a trade deal, under which Washington will bring down reciprocal tariffs on Delhi from 25 to 18 per cent.
What did Jaishankar-Rubio discuss?
According to a readout from the US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, EAM Jaishankar and Secretary Rubio discussed formalising cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing and also emphasised the importance of the two democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance shared energy security goals.
"The Secretary and External Affairs Minister discussed formalizing bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing. Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar welcomed the trade deal reached between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. The two leaders emphasized the importance of our democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance our shared energy security goals," the readout stated.
Both leaders also called for a "prosperous Indo-Pacific region", crucial for promoting shared interests.
"Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar concluded their meeting by expressing their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad. They acknowledged that a prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains vital to advancing our shared interests," the readout added.
The Quad comprises the United States, Australia, Japan, and India as partner countries.
Jaishankar meets Scott Bessent
Jaishankar also met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with the two sides discussing ways to advance the India-US economic partnership and strengthen strategic cooperation.
"Pleased to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington DC today. Had a useful discussion on advancement of India - US economic partnership and strategic cooperation," the EMA said in a post on X.
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