Ties with India critical to US: Rubio

New York: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called New Delhi’s ties with Washington a “relationship of critical importance” and voiced “appreciation” for India's engagement on trade, defence and energy, even as disputes persist over US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his crackdown on H1B visas.

Rubio's comments came after his meeting with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar in New York on Monday morning on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week. Rubio reiterated that "India is a relationship of critical importance to the United States" and expressed his appreciation for the Indian government's continued engagement on a number of issues, including trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, and other items related to the bilateral relationship", a readout of the meeting provided by the State Department said.

Rubio and Jaishankar agreed that the United States and India will continue working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad, the statement added.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said it was "good to meet" Rubio in New York. "Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch," he said. Rubio said in a post on X that he discussed with Jaishankar "key areas of our bilateral relationship, including trade, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals and more to generate prosperity for India and the United States."