Amid tensions over H-1B visas and trade, Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State; these issues were discussed

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). During the meeting, the two leaders discussed a number of key bilateral and international issues currently being addressed.

This was Jaishankar and Rubio’s first face-to-face meeting, especially since US President Donald Trump recently imposed an additional 25% tariff on India. This action was taken against India’s purchase of oil from Russia, bringing the total tariff on India to 50%.

Jaishankar posted
Jaishankar wrote on social media, “Met with Marco Rubio in New York today. Our conversation covered a wide range of bilateral and international issues. We agreed that continued engagement is essential for progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch.”

Earlier in July, the two leaders met during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Washington, DC. This meeting comes at a time when India and the United States are striving to conclude a trade agreement as soon as possible.

Piyush Goyal also held talks
On Monday, an Indian delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also held talks with the US side. According to the Commerce Ministry, both countries have decided to conclude a mutually beneficial trade agreement as soon as possible.

Improving India-US Relations
Recent discussions between India and the United States have yielded positive results. On September 16, officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) visited India, where positive discussions took place on several aspects and an agreement was reached to expedite negotiations.