The US State Department reaffirmed India's "critical importance" to Washington and welcomed India's continued engagement on core sectors of mutual interest.
New York: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session this week.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said that both leaders discussed a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. He said that both sides agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas.
“Good to meet @SecRubio this morning in New York. Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch," Jaishankar said.
The meeting at Lotte New York Palace is the first in-person meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio since the US imposed an additional 25% tariff on India for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on India to 50%.
In a post on social media platform X, Secretary Rubio stated that the meeting focused on various aspects of the bilateral partnership aimed at "enhancing prosperity for both nations."
"Met with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at UNGA. We discussed key areas of our bilateral relationship, including trade, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals and more to generate prosperity for India and the United States," Rubio posted on X.
A US Department of State release said: "Secretary Rubio and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar agreed that the United States and India will continue working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad."
