Washington D.C. – Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Tuesday, ahead of the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial scheduled for Wednesday. The meeting underscores the growing strategic partnership between the two countries, particularly in the area of critical minerals.

The discussions between Jaishankar and Rubio focused on formalizing bilateral cooperation in critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation through the Quad. They also emphasized the importance of democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance shared energy security goals, recognizing a prosperous Indo-Pacific region as vital to both countries' interests.

The Critical Minerals Ministerial, hosted by the United States, will bring together delegations from over 50 countries to collaborate on securing and diversifying global critical mineral supply chains. Critical minerals are essential for technological innovation, economic growth, and national security. The event is described as a historic effort to build collective momentum for cooperation in this vital area. The ministerial will commence with opening remarks from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other senior U.S. officials.

Jaishankar's visit to the U.S. also comes on the heels of a recently announced trade deal between India and the U.S. Under the agreement, Washington has agreed to lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent. This development signals strengthening economic ties between the two nations.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss advancing the India-U.S. economic partnership and strengthening strategic cooperation. Jaishankar described the discussion as useful for the advancement of India-U.S. economic partnership and strategic cooperation.

The U.S. Department of State announced that Secretary Rubio would convene partners worldwide to strengthen cooperation on critical mineral supply chains. Rubio is expected to chair the ministerial, with delegations from more than 50 nations participating.