Washington DC: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday pledged to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), while welcoming the newly announced India-US trade agreement that lowers American tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent.
The commitment was made during their meeting ahead of the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington. According to a readout issued by US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the two leaders discussed institutionalising cooperation in critical minerals, including exploration, mining and processing, and highlighted the need for closer coordination to boost economic opportunities and energy security.
Both sides welcomed the trade deal reached between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing it as a step that would deepen economic engagement between the two democracies. The discussions also underscored the importance of collaboration to advance shared strategic and energy goals.
Jaishankar and Rubio further stressed that a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains central to promoting shared interests. They agreed to expand cooperation under the Quad framework, which brings together India, the United States, Australia and Japan.
The meeting took place during Jaishankar’s three-day visit to the United States, where he is participating in the Critical Minerals Ministerial on February 4. The event, hosted by Washington, has drawn delegations from more than 50 countries to explore ways to secure and diversify global supply chains for critical minerals.
Following the talks, Jaishankar said on X that he was pleased with the wide-ranging discussion, which covered bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues. He noted that areas such as trade, energy, nuclear cooperation, defence, critical minerals and technology were discussed, with both sides agreeing to hold early meetings of various mechanisms to push forward shared objectives.
Rubio also shared details of the meeting on social media, saying the discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in critical minerals and unlocking new economic opportunities, while commending the India-US trade deal.
