‘From critical minerals to energy and nukes’: Check what Jaishankar and Rubio discussed after India-US trade deal | World News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his US counterpart, External Affairs Minister Marco Rubio, in Washington on Tuesday. The two leaders discussed formalizing bilateral cooperation in critical mineral exploration, mining and processing.

Jaishankar said various aspects of the India-US Strategic Partnership, including trade, energy, nuclear, defence, critical minerals and technology, were discussed during the talks.

In his post on X, Jaishankar stated that both leaders agreed on early meetings of various mechanisms to advance our common interests.

According to the statement made by Deputy Speaker Tommy Pigott, Jaishankar and Marco Rubio welcomed the much-anticipated India-US trade agreement reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Wide range of topics discussed between Jaishankar and Rubio

“The two leaders emphasized the importance of our democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance our shared energy security goals,” the statement said. he said.

The statement further said, “Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar concluded their meeting by expressing their commitment to expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad. They agreed that a prosperous Indo-Pacific region is vital to advancing our common interests.” expressions were used.

Regional and multilateral aspects of the partnership were also discussed during the meetings. Rubio and Jaishankar concluded the meeting by reiterating their commitment to strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, noting that a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific is essential to support their common interests.

The meeting between S Jaishankar and Marco Rubio took place a day after US President Trump announced on the Truth Social platform that New Delhi and Washington had agreed on a trade deal.

The Jaishankar-Rubio meeting took place a day after Trump announced on Truth Social that India and the US had reached a trade agreement under which Washington would reduce bilateral tariffs on New Delhi from 25% to 18%.

Trump also claimed that Prime Minister Modi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and that Indian tariffs on US goods would potentially be reduced to zero.

However, no official confirmation has been made by India yet. Even the Kremlin issued a statement on Tuesday saying that India did not inform Russia about stopping the purchase of Russian oil.

Jaishankar meets Scott Bessent

Earlier in the day, EAM Jaishankar also met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington. He described the talk productive, saying, “Had a useful discussion on advancement of India-US economic partnership and strategic cooperation.”

The two meetings underlined the expanding scope of India-US interaction to include areas such as diplomacy, security, trade and finance. Senior officials from both countries emphasized the importance of stronger inter-ministerial coordination to translate political momentum into concrete results.

In recent years, India and the US have increased cooperation in defense, energy and new technologies, as well as strengthening economic ties through trade and investment. Both sides identified critical minerals and advanced technologies as key priority sectors, given their roles in clean energy transitions and high-end manufacturing.

These latest high-level interactions follow ongoing consultations between New Delhi and Washington on regional and global issues, including Indo-Pacific developments. Officials from both countries have consistently identified the India-US partnership as the cornerstone of their foreign policy approaches.

EAM Jaishankar will be on a 3-day visit to the United States from February 2-4 and will also attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting to be chaired by Rubio on Wednesday.

According to the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jaishankar is planned to meet with senior officials of the US administration during his visit to the USA.