India is critical to US, Rubio says after meeting Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly-UNGA session in New York.Following their meeting, Rubio reiterated that India continues to be a "critical" partner for Washington.As per the US State Department, the meeting between the two top diplomats focused on various aspects of India-US bilateral ties such as trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals.

Met with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar at UNGA. We discussed key areas of our bilateral relationship, including trade, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals and more to generate prosperity for India and the United States. pic.twitter.com/5dZJAd85Za

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) September 22, 2025

This marks the third in-person meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio this year. Their last interaction took place on 1st July during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington. The meeting at Lotte New York Palace is the first face-to-face interaction between them following President Donald Trump's imposition of an additional 25 per cent tariff on India for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on India to 50 per cent.