Secretary of State meets External Affairs Minister on the sidelines of ASEAN Summit in Manila; US-India trade deal touted as ‘almost complete’
Manila/New Delhi: Stressing the importance of growing India-US ties once again, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the relationship as "vitally important" after meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Manila, saying the two leaders discussed regional security, the Quad, trade and defense cooperation.
The crucial meeting came around the Quad Foreign Ministers’ discussions and followed Jaishankar’s announcement that the two leaders had held talks focusing on key pillars of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
“Always good to see my friend, Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar on the sidelines of ASEAN. We discussed regional security issues, the Quad, trade, and defense agreements. Our relationship with India is vitally important," Rubio said in a post on X after the meeting. US envoy to India Sergio Gor also attended the brief meeting.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said his discussions with Rubio covered trade and tariffs, energy, defense and security, critical minerals and artificial intelligence, besides an exchange of views on regional, global and multilateral issues of mutual interest.
The meeting took place during Jaishankar’s two-day visit to the Philippines, where he attended meetings under the ASEAN framework and participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting alongside counterparts from the United States, Japan and Australia. The Quad foreign ministers last met in New Delhi in May, when Rubio visited India.
US-India interim trade deal ‘almost complete’
The interim trade deal between India and the US is “almost complete” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is likely to visit India before the end of the year, US officials said in Manila.
After an interaction on the sidelines of the ASEAN and East Asia meetings, Jaishankar posted: “Pleased to meet @SecRubio of the USA here in Manila. Our meeting focused on areas which are priority for the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including trade & tariffs, energy, defense & security, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.”
“We also exchanged quick perspectives on regional, global and multilateral issues of mutual interest,” he said, referring to the wars in West Asia and Ukraine.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, “Secretary Rubio met today with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in Manila… discussed recent developments in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.”
“The Secretary and Minister Jaishankar discussed finalizing key defence agreements in fulfillment of commitments made between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi last year. (They) agreed on the importance of finalizing the interim trade deal, which is almost complete,” he said.
Gor said, “A very productive bilateral meeting between @SecRubio and @DrSJaishankar on the sidelines of ASEAN. In fact, Secretary Rubio might be coming back to India later this year… stay tuned.”
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India calls for zero tolerance against terror India has called for zero tolerance against terrorism and reaffirmed its commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific at the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Manila, Philippines. Addressing the meeting, Jaishankar said this forum remains an important platform for discussing political and security issues in the Indo-Pacific, particularly at a time of growing global complexities. On maritime security, he said initiatives such as the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region, the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative, and the deployment of Indian naval assets are helping counter piracy, trafficking and the narcotics trade while ensuring secure maritime commerce. Referring to the South China Sea, he underlined the need for a substantive, effective and legally binding Code of Conduct that is fully consistent with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and safeguards the legitimate rights of all users. Dr Jaishankar also called for greater international vigilance against the erosion of non-proliferation and disarmament norms. |
