India Is Critically Important To US: Rubio Tells Jaishankar Amid H1-B Visa And Tariff Row

<p>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met on Monday on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, where the two leaders discussed deepening strategic cooperation between India and the United States across multiple sectors, including trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals.</p>
<p>In a post on X, amid the H1-B Visa and tariff row, Rubio said the conversation focused on strengthening areas of bilateral engagement aimed at boosting prosperity in both countries. “Met with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar 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,&rdquo; he wrote.</p>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”>
<p dir=”ltr” lang=”en”>Met with Indian External Affairs Minister <a href=”https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@DrSJaishankar</a> 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. <a href=”https://t.co/5dZJAd85Za”>pic.twitter.com/5dZJAd85Za</a></p>
&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1970213328740930035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>September 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<p>
<script src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” async=”” charset=”utf-8″></script>
</p>
<p>The US Department of State, in an official statement, reiterated India’s “critical importance” to Washington and welcomed New Delhi’s continued partnership in core areas of mutual interest. The statement added that both sides agreed to advance cooperation in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad framework.</p>
<p>Jaishankar also described the meeting as constructive. In a post on X, he wrote, “Good to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio this morning 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.”</p>
<p>This was the first direct interaction between the two leaders since trade tensions flared over steep US tariffs on Indian goods amid India&rsquo;s purchase of Russian oil. Despite recent strains, the dialogue is being viewed as a step towards stabilising and reinforcing India&ndash;US ties.</p>