External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held separate meetings with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last night in Washington, DC, to advance the India-US economic partnership, strengthen strategic cooperation, and formalise collaboration on the exploration, mining, and processing of critical minerals, reported PTI.
In his meeting with Rubio at the State Department, the EAM and the US Secretary of State “welcomed” the India-US trade deal announced by US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under which Washington agreed to cut tariffs on Indian goods to 18%. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad, according to the readout issued by State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
Earlier, Jaishankar met Bessent, with both sides emphasising the need to strengthen economic ties and strategic cooperation. In his post on X, the EAM wrote: "Pleased to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington DC today. @SecScottBessent. Had a useful discussion on advancement of India - US economic partnership and strategic cooperation.”
The meetings come ahead of the Critical Minerals Ministerial, scheduled for 4 February, where US Vice President J D Vance, Rubio, Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for Global Supply Chains David Copley, and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg will deliver opening remarks. The ministerial aims to diversify supply chains and advance collective efforts in the field of critical minerals.
Acknowledging the importance of Indo-Pacific collaboration in advancing shared interests, Rubio, in a post on X, wrote, “Met with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar to discuss our bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration and work together to unlock new economic opportunities between our two countries. We also commended the trade deal between the United States and India.”
Jaishankar echoed the sentiment in his post: “Delighted to meet US @SecRubio this afternoon. A wide ranging conversation that covered our bilateral cooperation agenda, regional and global issues. Facets of India - US Strategic Partnership discussed included trade, energy, nuclear, defence, critical minerals and technology. Agreed on the early meetings of various mechanisms to advance our shared interests."
‘Unlock new economic opportunities,’ says US Department
The US Department of State, in its press release, said that the two nations committed to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad. The readout of the bilateral meeting provided by State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, “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.”
Jaishankar is currently on a three-day State visit to the United States from 2- 4 February. The meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio came a day after India and the US announced a trade deal.
