India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed bilateral ties and global issues at a meeting on the sidelines of the Asean East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, just a month after the two leaders spoke in New York .
“Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues,” Jaishankar said on X. The minister delivered India’s national statement at the annual summit hosted this year by Malaysia on Monday.
Jaishankar also held discussions with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Japan’s Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Haji Hasan in separate meetings in Kuala Lumpur.
The Jaishankar-Rubio meeting comes as New Delhi and Washington continue to navigate the fallout of the steep tariffs, including a penalty for purchases of Russian oil, imposed by US president Donald Trump on Indian exports to the US. Trump last week imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in a move that impacts supplies to Indian oil refiners.
The two sides are also holding talks on a Bilateral Trade Agreement.
In September, Jaishankar and Rubio had met on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Ahead of Monday’s meeting with Jaishankar, Rubio acknowledged the challenges the two countries are facing but reaffirmed his faith in longstanding ties between New Delhi and Washington.
“We’re still talking. I mean, we’ve got broader trade issues that we’re working on as well, so – but they’ll (India) always be our allies and friends,” Rubio told reporters on Saturday.
Rubio also outlined US plans for closer cooperation with Pakistan but said that this would not come at the expense of his country’s historic relationship with India.
“I mean, we know they’re concerned for obvious reasons because of the tensions that have existed between Pakistan and India historically. But, I think they have to understand we have to have relations with a lot of different countries. We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan,” Rubio said while en route to Qatar.
“Look, they (India) have some relationships with countries that we don’t have relationships with. So, it’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy. I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important,” Rubio added.
