Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington.

Notably, he met Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela, with both engagements focusing on deepening and expanding cooperation between their respective countries and India.

In his X posts, Jaishankar conveyed that it was “great to see FM Anita Anand of Canada today” and that their discussions aimed at taking bilateral ties forward.

He also noted his conversation with Peru’s Foreign Minister de Zela, stating that there was agreement to deepen cooperation between India and Peru, underscoring a broader trend of India diversifying its diplomatic and economic partnerships beyond traditional alignments.

The meetings occurred as part of India’s broader participation in the Critical Minerals Ministerial, a gathering designed to advance international cooperation on supply chains for essential minerals. Jaishankar emphasised the need for structured international cooperation to de-risk critical mineral supply chains and warned against excessive concentration, which he described as a major global risk. 

He highlighted India’s own initiatives to bolster resilience in this space, including the National Critical Minerals Mission, the Rare Earth Corridors, and efforts to promote responsible commerce. He also signalled India’s support for the FORGE initiative on critical minerals, which seeks to accelerate collaboration in research, development, and manufacturing within the minerals sector.

In his public remarks on X, Jaishankar referred to the importance of diversifying supply chains for rare earth elements and other critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel. The aim, he indicated, is to reduce overreliance on a single country for processing and mining, thereby enhancing global resilience. 

His statement aligned with India’s broader aim of strengthening supply chain diplomacy through multi-nation cooperation and regional partnerships, a theme that has gained traction among participating countries at the ministerial.

The discussions with Anand and de Zela thus fed into a wider narrative about cooperative measures to secure and diversify mineral supplies while addressing the environmental and governance considerations that accompany mineral extraction and processing.

Jaishankar’s engagements also touched on wider economic and strategic themes. Ahead of the ministerial, he shared photographs from meetings with other foreign ministers, including those from the Netherlands, Italy, Malaysia, Bahrain, and Mongolia, signalling a busy diplomatic program and an intention to foster a diverse network of partnerships.

The ministerial itself attracted delegations from more than 50 countries, with the European Union viewed as a pivotal forum for advancing supply chain diplomacy. In his messages, Jaishankar framed the discussions within a context of global supply chain resilience, partnership diversification, and collaborative approaches to critical minerals governance.

Beyond discussions on minerals alone, there was anticipation around Prime Minister Mark Carney’s scheduled visit to India in early March. Reports suggested that the visit could yield deals related to uranium, energy, minerals, and artificial intelligence, with trade occupying a central place on the agenda.

While formal announcements were limited at the time, sources within India’s Ministry of External Affairs indicated that trade would be a key focus of Carney’s trip, alongside broader cooperation on energy, minerals, and technology sectors. The exchanges during the ministerial therefore occurred against a backdrop of evolving strategic and commercial interests, with both sides signalling a readiness to pursue tangible outcomes in the immediate and medium term.

Jaishankar’s Washington engagements represented a concerted effort to broaden India’s strategic partnerships in the critical minerals domain, while also underscoring the importance of diversified and de-risked supply chains.

The conversations with Canada and Peru, coupled with his broader participation in ministerial discussions, reflected India’s aim to position itself as a key player in global mineral security and in the architecture of supply chain resilience.

The statements issued through X and subsequent media interactions reinforced a narrative of pragmatic collaboration, structural cooperation, and a forward-looking agenda on critical minerals governance and trade.

Based On ANI Report