External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly through the Quad, during a meeting held ahead of the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington.
The two leaders also welcomed the recently announced India–US trade agreement under which Washington has reduced tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent.
According to a readout issued by US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the discussions focused on formalising cooperation in critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing. Both sides underscored the importance of collaboration between the world’s two largest democracies to unlock new economic opportunities and strengthen shared energy security goals.
“The Secretary and External Affairs Minister discussed formalising bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing. Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar welcomed the trade deal reached between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. The two leaders emphasised the importance of our democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance our shared energy security goals,” the readout said.
The meeting also highlighted the shared vision of a prosperous Indo-Pacific region. According to the US State Department, both leaders agreed that such a region is essential for advancing common strategic interests.
“Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar concluded their meeting by expressing their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad. They acknowledged that a prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains vital to advancing our shared interests,” the statement added.
The Quad grouping includes the United States, India, Australia, and Japan.
Jaishankar’s meeting with Rubio took place during his three-day visit to the United States, during which he is participating in the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial on February 4. The United States is hosting the ministerial in Washington DC, bringing together delegations from more than 50 countries to strengthen cooperation on securing and diversifying global critical mineral supply chains, according to a prior notice from the US State Department.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar said in a post on X that he was “delighted” to meet Secretary Rubio, describing the talks as wide-ranging.
“Delighted to meet US Secretary Rubio this afternoon. A wide-ranging conversation 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 early meetings of various mechanisms to advance our shared interests,” the External Affairs Minister wrote.
Secretary Rubio also shared details of the meeting on X, stating, “Met with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar 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.”
