Jaishankar, Rubio Meet in Washington, Pledge to Expand India-US Bilateral Cooperation Through Quad
New Delhi: Days after India finalised the trade deal with the US, External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Tuesday (February 3) in Washington before the inaugural ministerial on critical minerals.
Jaishankar and Rubio discussed formalising bilateral cooperation on critical mineral exploration, mining and processing.
US Department of State principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement that Rubio and Jaishankar welcomed the trade deal reached between US president Trump and prime minister Narendra Modi.
“The two leaders emphasised the importance of our democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance our shared energy security goals. Secretary Rubio and minister Jaishankar concluded their meeting by expressing their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad. They acknowledged that a prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains vital to advancing our shared interests,” said Pigott.
Jaishankar said that the conversation also covered bilateral cooperation agenda of the two countries, regional and global issues.
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
“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 technology. Agreed on the early meetings of various mechanisms to advance our shared interests,” Jaishankar posted on X.
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