After meeting Jaishankar, Marco Rubio calls India ‘critical’ to US

New York — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described India as “critical” to the United States, praising ongoing engagement between the two countries in areas such as trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals.

The remarks came after Rubio met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday. According to a State Department readout, Rubio “reiterated that India is a relationship of critical importance to the United States” and expressed appreciation for India’s continued engagement across multiple sectors. Both leaders agreed that the US and India will continue working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad framework.

Rubio’s meeting with Jaishankar was his first official engagement of the day during a series of bilateral talks with world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. Jaishankar described their conversation on X (formerly Twitter) as covering “a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern” and highlighted the importance of sustained engagement to advance priority areas.

The visit also included Jaishankar meeting US ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor, who will additionally serve as Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia. Gor’s appointment requires Senate approval, like all ambassadorial postings. The State Department noted that both sides “look forward to further promoting the success of the U.S.-India relationship.”

In a parallel development, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in New York to negotiate the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement. Sources said both sides remain optimistic about reaching an interim understanding soon. These talks follow earlier meetings in New Delhi between Assistant US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch and Commerce Ministry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal.

Despite past tensions over trade and Russian oil purchases, strategic cooperation between the two countries remains strong, exemplified by the Quad grouping, which also includes Australia and Japan. Rubio made reference to this partnership during his meeting.

Notably, the reaffirmation of India’s importance comes after US President Donald Trump, following a series of tough statements and tariffs, personally called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday. Trump praised Modi’s leadership and India’s support in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, to which PM Modi responded, reaffirming his commitment to advancing the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership.

With inputs from IANS