Jaishankar meets Rubio in Washington ahead of critical minerals ministerial meet

NEW DELHI: External affairs curate S Jaishankar connected Tuesday met US caput of authorities Marco Rubio successful Washington, up of the captious minerals ministerial scheduled for February 4. The gathering came during Jaishankar’s three-day sojourn to the United States and a time aft India and the US announced a commercialized woody nether which Washington agreed to chopped tariffs connected Indian goods to 18 per cent. The United States is acceptable to big the inaugural captious minerals ministerial connected Wednesday (local time) successful Washington DC, bringing unneurotic delegations from much than 50 countries to deepen practice connected securing and diversifying planetary captious mineral proviso chains, according to a announcement issued earlier by the US State Department’s Office of the Spokesperson.

Earlier successful the day, Jaishankar besides met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with the 2 sides discussing ways to beforehand the India-US economical concern and fortify strategical cooperation. “Pleased to conscionable US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent successful Washington DC today. Had a utile treatment connected advancement of India - US economical concern and strategical cooperation,” the External Affairs Minister said successful a station connected X.

Ahead of the ministerial, the US Department of State said Secretary Rubio volition convene partners from crossed the satellite to bolster collaboration connected captious mineral proviso chains. Rubio volition seat the ministerial, with information expected from delegations representing implicit 50 nations.

The gathering has been described arsenic a landmark effort to physique corporate momentum for practice connected securing captious minerals that are captious for technological innovation, economical growth, and nationalist security. The lawsuit volition unfastened with remarks by US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and different elder US officials. Jaishankar’s sojourn besides comes against the backdrop of the India-US commercialized statement announced connected Monday pursuing a telephone speech betwixt Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Under the agreement, the US volition little reciprocal tariffs connected Indian goods to 18 per cent from 25 per cent, with contiguous effect. Welcoming the deal, Jaishankar said it would boost occupation creation, spur economical growth, beforehand innovation, and fortify India’s ‘Make successful India’ initiative. In a station connected X, the External Affairs Minister said, “Welcome the announcements connected bilateral commercialized pursuing the speech betwixt PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump. This volition make much jobs, spur maturation and beforehand innovation successful some economies. It volition fortify 'Make successful India' endeavours and promote trusted exertion ties. The opportunities successful our economical engagement are genuinely immense and we are assured of realising them.

A robust economical narration is the strongest instauration for our strategical partnership.”