New York: In a key bilateral engagement at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to discuss strengthening strategic ties between the two countries. The discussions covered trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals, with both leaders emphasizing closer cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
Rubio, posting on social media platform X, said, “Met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at UNGA. We discussed various aspects of bilateral relations in trade, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals to enhance prosperity for both nations.”
The U.S. State Department described India as “extremely important to the United States,” reaffirming commitments to deepen collaboration across trade, defense, and other strategic sectors. The statement highlighted that both countries will continue working together through platforms like the Quad to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Minister Jaishankar also tweeted, noting the meeting as “constructive,” and stressed the importance of ongoing engagement to advance priority areas in both bilateral and global matters.

This meeting comes in the backdrop of recent trade tensions following U.S. tariffs on Indian goods over India’s Russian oil imports. It marks the first high-level dialogue between the two nations’ foreign ministers since the imposition of these tariffs, signaling a positive step toward recalibrating India-U.S. relations.
The 80th UNGA session began on September 9, 2025, with the high-level general debate starting on September 23, coinciding with this pivotal bilateral engagement.
