WASHINGTON: The United States and India on Tuesday held high-level discussions in Washington focusing on cooperation in critical minerals, trade and broader strategic ties, amid efforts to deepen economic and security coordination in the Indo-Pacific region.
The talks took place against the backdrop of a recently concluded bilateral trade agreement between Washington and New Delhi, which has attracted significant regional attention. However, diplomatic observers in Washington said the deal was unlikely to affect the recently improved relations between Pakistan and the United States, noting that US-Pakistan ties are not contingent on India.
Observers added that developments in the Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia have reinforced Pakistan’s strategic relevance in Washington’s regional calculus.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during the latter’s three-day official visit to the United States. According to a State Department readout, the two leaders discussed formalising bilateral cooperation in the exploration, mining and processing of critical minerals — an increasingly vital area amid global supply chain realignments and competition over resources needed for the energy transition.
The meeting preceded the inaugural US-hosted critical minerals ministerial scheduled for Wednesday and followed the conclusion of a long-pending trade agreement under which the United States agreed to lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent after nearly a year of negotiations.
“Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar welcomed the trade deal reached between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the State Department said, adding that both leaders underscored the importance of democratic partners working together to unlock new economic opportunities and strengthen shared energy security objectives.
In a social media post, Secretary Rubio said he had discussed cooperation on critical minerals with Jaishankar, along with ways to expand economic opportunities between the two countries, while commending the newly concluded trade agreement.
Jaishankar described the meeting as “wide-ranging”, saying it covered bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues. He said discussions on the India–US strategic partnership included trade, energy, nuclear cooperation, defence, critical minerals and technology, adding that both sides agreed to hold early meetings under various mechanisms to advance shared interests.
The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), which includes the United States, India, Japan and Australia. The State Department said both leaders reiterated that a prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains central to advancing shared strategic interests.
Pakistan is also participating in the critical minerals meeting in Washington as part of efforts to stabilise economic ties with the United States and position itself as a viable destination for strategic mineral investment. Islamabad has previously signed memoranda of understanding worth around $500 million with US partners for cooperation in the development and processing of critical minerals.