External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said they discussed a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas.
The US Department of State said in a statement that during the meeting, Rubio reiterated that India is a relationship of critical importance to the US.
He also appreciated India’s continued engagement on several issues, including trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals and other items related to the bilateral relationship, it said.
“Secretary Rubio and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar agreed the United States and India will continue working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad,” the statement said.
The meeting at Lotte New York Palace was the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders following President Donald Trump's imposition of an additional 25 per cent tariff on India for New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on India to 50 per cent.
The meeting took place on the same day India and the US held discussions to achieve an early conclusion of a trade agreement. A delegation led by Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal has already arrived in the US for the dialogue.
"The delegation plans to take forward the discussions with a view to achieving early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement," the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had said in a statement.