Rubio and Jaishankar discuss strengthening US-India partnership.

US – India – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk)- In a significant diplomatic move, the top diplomats from the United States and India met in Malaysia this past Monday. The meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar aimed to advance trade discussions. This high-level talk also sought to ease recent strain caused by new American taxes on goods.

This was the first major contact between the two nations since the US placed sanctions on Russian oil companies. These companies are a vital source of crude oil for India. While few specifics were shared, the meeting itself signals an effort to manage their differences.

Mr. Jaishankar shared a positive picture from the meeting on social media. The photo showed him smiling and shaking hands with Mr. Rubio. He stated that he valued their conversation about the two countries’ relationship, as well as regional and global matters.

The meeting occurred during a large gathering of Southeast Asian nations in Malaysia. US President Donald Trump was present at the event. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had originally planned to attend but later addressed the summit by video link instead.

Prime Minister Modi changed his travel plans to Kuala Lumpur, with Malaysian officials noting he cited the ongoing Diwali festival as the reason. This meeting comes at a delicate time for US-India relations, which have faced several challenges.

Ties between Washington and New Delhi became more tense last August. This happened after President Trump greatly increased taxes on Indian products. US officials at the time argued that India was indirectly supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine by buying its discounted oil.

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President Trump recently claimed that Mr. Modi agreed to reduce India’s purchases of Russian oil during a phone call. However, the Indian government has not confirmed this claim publicly.

There seems to be a difference in reports on this issue. A White House official stated that India has already cut its Russian oil buys in half. Meanwhile, Indian sources said they have not seen an immediate reduction.

Another point of friction was a recent new fee on skilled worker visas, which are heavily used by Indian professionals. India expressed concern about this decision, warning it could negatively affect families and cause disruption.

Separately, Mr. Rubio commented on America’s relationship with Pakistan. He stated that the US sees a chance to build a stronger strategic partnership with Pakistan. He was quick to add that this better relationship does not harm the US’s deep and historic friendship with India.

When asked if India had expressed worry about the US-Pakistan ties, Mr. Rubio said they had not formally done so. He acknowledged that India might have concerns due to its long-standing tensions with Pakistan.

He explained that the US must maintain relations with many different countries, even those that have conflicts with each other. He described it as part of a mature and practical approach to foreign policy. He firmly believes that working with Pakistan does not come at the expense of the important US-India relationship.