Did EAM Jaishankar Discuss US-India Relations with Marco Rubio in Malaysia?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 27 (NationPress) - On Monday, India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar held a significant meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During their conversation, they explored both bilateral relations and pressing regional and global matters.
This meeting occurs amidst ongoing trade discussions between the two nations.
In a statement on his official X account, EAM Jaishankar expressed: "Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues."
Union Minister Piyush Goyal recently emphasized, "We are in dialogue with the United States of America. Our teams are engaged. We recently had the commerce secretary visit the US, and he met with his counterparts. We continue to engage with them, and talks are progressing. We hope to work towards a fair and equitable agreement in the near future."
Earlier, Rubio addressed rising concerns regarding Washington's strengthening ties with Pakistan, clarifying that this relationship does not detract from the US's "deep, historic, and important" partnership with India.
While speaking to the press en route to Doha, Qatar, Rubio affirmed that New Delhi recognizes the importance of engaging with multiple nations in a mature diplomatic context.
"I don't think anything we're doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important," Rubio told reporters, following inquiries about India's concerns over the recent increase in US-Pakistan relations.
Additionally, India and ASEAN nations have been working to bolster their ties at the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit held on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pinpointed key collaboration areas, including counter-terrorism, an early review of the ASEAN-India FTA, and maritime security.
PM Modi participated in the Summit virtually, marking his 12th involvement in the ASEAN-India Summit.
During the gathering, PM Modi and ASEAN leaders reviewed the progress of ASEAN-India relations and discussed strategies to enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
A press release from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) indicated that PM Modi highlighted the severe challenge terrorism poses to global peace and security, underlining the need for unity in combatting it.