External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, reviewing the current state of India-US cooperation as both nations seek to deepen engagement across strategic, economic, energy and technology sectors.

Following the meeting, Jaishankar acknowledged Rubio’s hospitality and highlighted the importance of the discussions.

“Appreciated @SecRubio’s hospitality in Atlanta for the @g20org FMM. Took stock of our bilateral cooperation,” he said.

The interaction came less than two weeks after Rubio concluded a high-profile visit to India, where he held discussions with Indian leaders on trade, investment, energy security, critical technologies and broader strategic cooperation.

At the conclusion of that visit, Rubio stated that it had advanced the two countries’ “economic and strategic priorities in the region”. He had also emphasised the value of stronger economic ties and enhanced energy security cooperation, describing both as beneficial to India and the United States.

The Atlanta meeting formed part of a broader diplomatic engagement during the two-day G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which has brought together leading global diplomats at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, economic disruption and supply chain challenges.

Addressing the first plenary session, Jaishankar stressed that military responses alone cannot solve the world’s major crises and called for renewed diplomatic efforts.

“Emphasised that in the face of global challenges, military solutions will not work and diplomacy must be given a chance,” he stated.

His remarks come against the backdrop of continuing conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and rising instability across West Asia, both of which have generated significant economic and security repercussions worldwide.

Jaishankar also drew attention to attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, warning that such incidents threaten freedom of navigation and undermine international maritime security.

He underlined the need to halt attacks under established international legal frameworks, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The External Affairs Minister argued that developing economies are increasingly facing barriers to industrialisation through market flooding, the weaponisation of supply chains, restricted access to markets and artificial distortions in global trade.

“This must cease,” he asserted, while advocating the development of resilient alternative connectivity corridors as countries pursue de-risking and diversification strategies.

Jaishankar further cautioned against overlooking the threat posed by terrorism.

“Tactical calculations should not lead to overlooking the dangers of terrorism. It is a high-risk activity which has come back to bite even the practitioners,” he said.

Highlighting the disproportionate impact of global disruptions on developing nations, he noted that countries across the Global South have borne a heavy burden from attacks on civilian shipping and maritime personnel.

According to figures cited by India, at least 22 Indian nationals, including 14 seafarers, have lost their lives since the outbreak of the West Asia conflict earlier this year. Such disruptions have also affected the affordability and availability of fuel, food supplies and agricultural nutrients across numerous developing economies.

EAM Jaishankar arrived in Atlanta ahead of the ministerial gathering and held discussions with several foreign counterparts before formal proceedings began. Opening the meeting, Rubio told delegates that the world is confronting a decisive moment marked by interconnected economic and geopolitical crises.

“We are facing a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises, many of which pose severe threats to essential foundations of the global economic order, new disruptions and strains to global energy and food markets, to the global supply chain, to trade, to freedom of navigation itself,” Rubio said.

He called on G20 members to work collectively to strengthen financial resilience and protect commercial markets from mounting shocks.

After the session, Rubio reiterated that maritime security and food security are closely linked to economic stability.

“At today’s G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, I made clear that maritime and food security drive economic security. Through our America First agenda, the United States is encouraging partners to protect shipping routes, strengthen food security, and reduce the economic consequences of geopolitical crises,” he said.

The United States has stated that it will work closely with G20 partners throughout the ministerial process to address geopolitical pressures affecting freedom of navigation, energy security, food supplies and global supply chains.

The Atlanta discussions are also serving as a key preparatory platform for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which is scheduled to be hosted by the United States in Miami on 14-15 December. Beyond bilateral cooperation, Jaishankar’s Atlanta visit is also significant because it includes consultations with major global partners ahead of upcoming Quad and G20 engagements, reflecting India’s growing role in shaping debates on economic resilience, connectivity, maritime security and supply chain diversification.

As global divisions continue over major conflicts and economic challenges, the India-US engagement in Atlanta underscored the shared interest of both countries in maintaining strategic dialogue while advancing cooperation across trade, energy, technology, connectivity and regional security.

ANI