Jaishankar and Marco Rubio discuss trade, defence ties on phone, may meet in Feb

NEW  new delhi:  extraneous affairs government minister S Jaishankar and his US opposite number Marco Rubio on tues discussed cooperation in trade, defence, and security amid months of strain in bilateral relations, largely linked to differences over trade-related matters.The phone conversation between the two foreign ministers came a day after US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor announced that the two sides remain actively engaged in concluding a trade deal and that the “next call on trade” would occur on Tuesday.“Just concluded a good conversation with @SecRubio. Discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy,” Jaishankar said in a social media post.The two sides agreed to “remain in touch on these and other issues”, he said, without giving details.Gor said on social media that Rubio had a “positive call” with Jaishankar, and that the two leaders “discussed next steps regarding our bilateral trade negotiations, critical minerals and a possible meeting next month”.There were no official readouts from the two sides on the conversation, which marked a rare engagement in several months that was characterised by both countries as positive.India-US relations have been strained for about two decades, after President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods in mid-2025, including a 25% penalty on Russian energy purchases.The two sides have also been unable to conclude a bilateral trade agreement despite multiple rounds of negotiations. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said last week that a pact couldn’t be sealed in 2025 because Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn’t call Trump, as the Indian side was not comfortable with the deal – a claim swiftly rejected by the Indian government.In his arrival speech on Monday, Gor said the two sides, as “real friends”, could disagree but will “always resolve their differences in the end” as he outlined plans to pursue an ambitious agenda. He also acknowledged that it was “not an easy task to get [the trade deal] across the finish line, but we are determined to get there”.Gor also said the US will invite India next month to join Pax Silica, the flagship American initiative to build a secure and resilient global supply chain for semiconductors and AI technology.Besides trade and tariff issues, India-US ties have been hit by other developments, including Trump’s persistent claims of brokering a ceasefire to end an intense four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025. India has rejected these claims amid growing concerns in New Delhi over Trump’s burgeoning relationship with Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.