External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio today, September 22, 2025, in New York City on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

The meeting is set to take place at 11 am EST (8:30 pm IST) and marks their first face-to-face interaction since the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods linked to India's purchase of Russian oil.

This interaction is part of ongoing efforts to reinforce India-US ties, which faced strain amid these trade tensions but show signs of recovery. Jaishankar and Rubio have met earlier this year during the 10th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Washington and also maintained discussions in January.

The upcoming bilateral talks come just ahead of formal trade negotiations scheduled in Washington on the same day, led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

Recent discussions between US Trade Representative officials and Indian Commerce Ministry have been described as positive, with both sides agreeing to intensify efforts to finalise a mutually beneficial trade deal.

However, challenges remain due to the US's imposition of punitive tariffs that have increased import duties on Indian goods to 50%, including a 25% penalty linked specifically to Indian purchases of Russian crude oil.

During the meeting, strategic and geopolitical issues are expected to be addressed alongside trade matters, reflecting India’s pivotal role in the Indo-Pacific region highlighted by Rubio at a recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Rubio described India as "one of the top relationships the US has in the world today" and stressed India's central role in shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific, a region considered key to global power dynamics in the 21st century.

Beyond the US-India bilateral context, Jaishankar also engaged with other global counterparts at UNGA, including Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa P. Lazaro, reinforcing strategic partnerships in areas like political cooperation, defence, security, and maritime domains, notably within the Indo-Pacific.

This meeting is a critical step in mending recent diplomatic and trade tensions between India and the US while positioning India as a core partner in regional and global affairs, ahead of intensive trade talks and wider UN engagements later in the week.

Base On ANI Report