'India is very important to us,' says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after meeting Jaishankar

A significant meeting took place between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA.

The two leaders discussed further strengthening the strategic partnership between India and the US. The discussions covered areas such as trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, and minerals. The meeting is being seen as an effort to give a new direction to bilateral relations following recent trade tensions.

Rubio wrote on the social media platform X, "Met with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar at the UNGA. We discussed various aspects of bilateral relations in areas such as trade, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals, to enhance prosperity for both countries."

Emphasis on Strategic Partnership

In an official statement, the US State Department described India as "extremely important to the US," saying that the two countries are committed to further deepening cooperation in trade, defense, and other areas.

The statement said, "Secretary Rubio appreciated the continued cooperation with the Indian government and the two countries will work together through platforms like the Quad to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

Jaishankar also described the meeting as constructive, saying, "I had a good meeting with Marco Rubio in New York. We discussed bilateral and international issues and agreed on the importance of continued engagement for progress in priority areas."

A New Beginning After Recent Tensions

This meeting is also significant because US President Donald Trump recently imposed heavy tariffs on Indian goods in response to India's purchase of Russian oil, which escalated trade tensions between the two countries.

This was the first time the two leaders met face-to-face after such a tense situation. They had previously met during the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Washington in July.

This meeting between the two countries is being considered a positive step towards restoring India-US relations. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UNGA, which began on September 9, 2025, and the High-Level General Debate began on September 23.