EAM Jaishankar meets Rubio, Bessent in Washington

Washington, Feb 4: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held separate meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, holding wide-ranging discussions on the India-US strategic and economic partnership.

“Delighted to meet US @SecRubio this afternoon,” Jaishankar said in a post on X after the meeting. “A wide-ranging conversation that covered our bilateral cooperation agenda, regional and global issues.”

He said the discussions with Rubio covered multiple pillars of the India-US relationship. “Facets of India – US Strategic Partnership discussed included trade, energy, nuclear, defence, critical minerals and technology,” Jaishankar said.

The External Affairs Minister said both sides agreed to move quickly on follow-up engagements. “Agreed on the early meetings of various mechanisms to advance our shared interests,” he added.

According to a State Department readout, the two leaders discussed formalising bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing — an area that has emerged as a central pillar of the India–US economic and strategic relationship.

The meeting came a day after President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a trade deal aimed at lowering barriers and expanding market access between the world’s two largest democracies.

Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar welcomed the agreement, underscoring the importance of the two democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance shared energy security goals, the readout said.

The discussions also focused on the regional and multilateral dimensions of the partnership. Rubio and Jaishankar concluded their meeting by reaffirming their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. They acknowledged that a prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains vital to advancing shared interests.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar also met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington. “Pleased to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington DC today,” he said in a separate post.

Jaishankar described the talks as productive. “Had a useful discussion on advancement of India – US economic partnership and strategic cooperation,” he said.

The twin meetings reflected the broadening scope of India-US engagement, spanning diplomacy, security, trade, and finance. Senior officials on both sides have emphasised the need for closer coordination across departments to translate political momentum into concrete outcomes.

India and the United States have expanded cooperation in recent years across defence, energy, and emerging technologies, while also deepening economic ties through trade and investment. Both countries have highlighted critical minerals and advanced technologies as priority areas, given their importance to clean energy transitions and high-end manufacturing.

The latest high-level engagements follow sustained dialogue between New Delhi and Washington on regional and global issues, including developments in the Indo-Pacific. Officials on both sides have described the India-US partnership as a central pillar of their respective foreign policy strategies.