Jaishankar to visit US next week for Critical Minerals meeting held by Marco Rubio, says report

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to visit the United States next week, reported ANI on Wednesday citing sources.

The development comes after a phone call between Jaishankar and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 13, in which they talked about bilateral trade negotiations and potential opportunities to expand cooperation in the civil nuclear sector. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor later noted that the two leaders had also discussed the possibility of an in-person meeting in February.

Earlier this month, the US Department of State announced that the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, scheduled for February 4 and to be held by Rubio, will gather international partners to bolster cooperation on critical mineral supply chains.

In a post on X, the State Department said the ministerial aims to strengthen global collaboration to ensure reliable and resilient critical mineral supply chains, which are vital for the US's economic and national security, technological leadership, and energy transition.

The State Department said, “On February 4, Secretary Rubio will welcome partners from across the globe to the State Department for the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial. Strengthening critical mineral supply chains with our international partners is vital to America's economic and national security, technological leadership, and a resilient energy future.”

According to the US Department of the Treasury, the meeting included finance ministers and senior officials from major economies such as Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

India was represented by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who oversees Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology.

Meanwhile, a US Congressional delegation, led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, met with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to discuss ways to enhance defence cooperation under the recently signed 10-year Major Defence Partnership Framework Agreement.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the January 27 meeting included extensive discussions on strengthening defence industry collaboration and advancing bilateral military ties.

The Ministry of Defence said on X, “US Congressional Delegation led by Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Mike Rogers met Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh today. They had wide ranging discussions including the recently concluded 10-year Major Defence Partnership Framework Agreement with emphasis on strengthening cooperation in the field of defence industry.”

(With inputs from ANI)