Jaishankar meets Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur, discusses bilateral ties on ASEAN sidelines
During the ASEAN Summit 2025, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on the sidelines to discuss bilateral ties amid ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries.
India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday at the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit being held in Kuala Lumpur. On the sidelines of the summit, the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues, including bilateral relations, regional developments, and global challenges.
S Jaishankar acknowledged the interaction with Marco Rubio and shared pictures from the summit on X, captioning it: “Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues.”
The high-level interaction comes at a time when trade negotiations between India and the United States are ongoing, adding diplomatic weight to the broader economic dialogue between the two nations.
In August, US President Donald Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Indian exports, including a 25% penalty for New Delhi's continuous purchase of discounted Russian crude oil. This move strained the trade relations between the two countries, which are now seeking to resolve the dispute.
India's cautious approach to a trade deal
The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal earlier stressed that India would not enter into any trade agreement “in haste” or accept restrictive conditions from trade partners that could limit the nation's “trading choices.” These comments reflected New Delhi's cautious approach while trade discussions between New Delhi and Washington continue to advance, ANI reported.
Piyush Goyal said trade deals must focus on building “trust, long-term ties, and creating sustainable frameworks for global business cooperation,” extending beyond “tariffs or market access.” He also emphasised that India's trade strategy with the US aligns with its long-term economic goals, ANI reported.
Goyal said New Delhi would continue to adopt a cautious and balanced approach towards any trade agreement. Referring indirectly to discussions with Washington, he said, “In a very short-term context, it's not about what is going to happen in the next six months. It's not just about being able to sell steel to America.”
He added that India's trade strategy is guided by a long-term perspective rather than short-term goals, adding, “Trade deals are for a longer duration. It's not only about tariffs, it's also about trust and a relationship. Trade deals are also about businesses.”
What is the progress in US and India's trade talks?
Despite the cautious stance, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal on Friday said that trade negotiations between India and the US are “progressing well,” with both sides "converging" on most points. Agrawal indicated that a mutually advantageous agreement, referring to the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), may be close.
“I think we are very close,” Agrawal said, referring to the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on 13 February.