Washington, DC [US], February 4 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday committed to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) and welcomed the recently announced India-US trade deal, under which Washington reduced tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent.
According to a readout from US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the two leaders met ahead of the Critical Minerals Ministerial and discussed formalizing cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing. They also emphasized the importance of the two democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance shared energy security goals.
“The Secretary and External Affairs Minister discussed formalizing 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 emphasized the importance of our democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance our shared energy security goals,” the readout said.
Both leaders underscored the importance of a prosperous Indo-Pacific region in promoting shared interests. They concluded their meeting by reaffirming their commitment to expanding cooperation through the Quad.
“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 readout added.
The Quad comprises the United States, Australia, Japan, and India.
EAM Jaishankar met Secretary Rubio as part of his ongoing 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 advance collaboration on securing and diversifying global critical mineral supply chains, according to the US State Department.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar said in a post on X that he was “delighted” to meet Rubio and described the discussions as wide-ranging, covering India-US bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues.
“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,” Jaishankar said.
Secretary Rubio also shared details of the meeting on X, saying he discussed bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration and efforts to unlock new economic opportunities between the two countries. He also commended the trade deal between the United States and India.
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