External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the trade deal reached between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and discussed formalising bilateral cooperation on critical minerals during talks in Washington DC.Rubio and Jaishankar held bilateral discussions at the US State Department ahead of the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial being convened by the US on February 4.
“Delighted to meet US Secretary Rubio this afternoon. A wide-ranging conversation that covered our bilateral cooperation agenda, regional and global issues,” Jaishankar said in a post on X after the meeting.
Delighted to meet US @SecRubio this afternoon.A wide ranging conversation that covered our bilateral cooperation agenda, regional and global issues. Facets of India – US Strategic Partnership discussed included trade, energy, nuclear, defence, critical minerals and… pic.twitter.com/1rbXJHgEQY— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 3, 2026 He added that discussions on the India-US Strategic Partnership covered trade, energy, nuclear cooperation, defence, critical minerals, and technology, with both sides agreeing to hold early meetings under various mechanisms to advance shared interests.According to a readout issued by State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio and Jaishankar welcomed the trade deal between Trump and Modi and underlined the importance of the two democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and strengthen energy security.The two leaders also discussed formalising cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing, the readout said.Rubio and Jaishankar concluded the meeting by reiterating their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad, and said that a prosperous Indo-Pacific remains vital to advancing shared interests. The Quad includes Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.In a separate post on X, Rubio said he met Jaishankar to discuss cooperation on critical minerals and efforts to unlock new economic opportunities between the two countries, while also commending the trade deal between India and the US.Jaishankar is on a visit to the US from February 2 to 4 and will participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial. He is also scheduled to meet senior members of the US administration, the Ministry of External Affairs has said.The meeting came a day after Trump announced on Truth Social that India and the US had agreed to a trade deal under which Washington would reduce reciprocal tariffs on New Delhi from 50% to 18%.First Published: Feb 4, 2026 7:31 AM IST
