New York [US], September 22 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to meet United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session. The meeting is set for 11 a.m. EST (8:30 p.m. IST), according to the schedule released by the US State Department.
The discussions are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen India-US relations, which had come under strain in recent months but have since shown signs of improvement. The two leaders last met in Washington in July during the 10th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and had also held talks in January this year. However, this will be their first face-to-face interaction since trade frictions flared after President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods over the purchase of Russian oil. Trump recently expressed confidence that both sides would face “no difficulty” in reaching an agreement.
There has also been concern among Indians in the US regarding H-1B visas after Trump signed an executive order imposing a USD 100,000 fee on visas for skilled tech workers. The White House later clarified that the fee applies only to new applicants, not current visa holders.
Earlier this month, during the Senate confirmation hearing for Sergio Gor, Trump’s nominee for US Ambassador to India, Rubio described India as “one of the top relationships that the US has in the world today.” Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to introduce Gor, Rubio highlighted India’s pivotal role in shaping the global future, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing that India is at the “core of that.”
Meanwhile, the New York meeting comes just ahead of formal trade talks scheduled in Washington later on Monday, where Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is leading an Indian delegation. According to a release from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, “positive discussions were held” during the September 16 visit of officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative to India, and both sides agreed to intensify efforts toward finalizing a deal. (ANI)
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