Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on sidelines of G20: 'Took stock of our bilateral cooperation’

During his recent India visit, Rubio said the US' relationship with Pakistan or any other country would “never come at the expense” of its ties with India.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar met US secretary of state Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta on Saturday, where the two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation.

Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Appreciated @SecRubio’s hospitality in Atlanta for the @g20org FMM. Took stock of our bilateral cooperation".

The meeting came after Rubio's official visit to India from October 20 to 22, during which he held talks with Jaishankar and discussed the proposed India-US trade deal.

Also Read: Decoding Rubio’s quick second visit to India

US on ties with India and Pakistan

During his recent India visit, Rubio said the United States' relationship with Pakistan or any other country would “never come at the expense” of its ties with India. He made the remarks in response to a question about concerns reportedly being raised over Washington's relationship with Islamabad.

Rubio was asked whether a situation similar to the 1970s, when then-US president Richard Nixon and his national security adviser Henry Kissinger tilted toward Pakistan, was returning.

“…What everyone should be assured of in India is that our relationship, not just with Pakistan but with any country in the world, will never come at the expense of our relationship. We don’t view it that way in our relationship with India," Rubio said in an interview with The Indian Express.

He also cited his visits to India, Washington's “commitment” to the trade deal with New Delhi and the two countries' “engagements” as evidence of their relationship.

Rubio had earlier said that India and the US were “very close” to finalising a trade deal, with only a few items left. After arriving in Mumbai on October 20, he met Jaishankar, before concluding his three-day official visit on October 22.

Jaishankar's meetings with other G20 counterparts

Jaishankar also held a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts from the European Union, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Argentina on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The discussions covered bilateral ties as well as key regional and global developments.

In a post on X on Friday (local time), Jaishankar said he discussed the Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Gulf with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.

"Discussed the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation with EU HRVP @kajakallas," he said.

The external affairs minister also met German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, expressing pleasure at the interaction.

"Great to meet FM Johann Wadephul of Germany. Always look forward to my discussions with @AussenMinDE," he said.

During his meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Jaishankar said the two sides discussed bilateral relations and global issues.

"A pleasure to sit down with FM Mauro Vieira of Brazil. Our conversation covered bilateral and global issues," he said.

His meeting with Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez focused on strengthening bilateral ties and giving fresh momentum to the partnership.

"My meeting with FM Roberto Velasco Álvarez @r_velascoa of Mexico was focussed on giving a new impetus to our ties," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar also met Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand to review the progress of bilateral cooperation.

"Delighted to meet FM @AnitaAnandMP of Canada today. Assessed the steady growth of our cooperation," he said.

In his meeting with Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, discussions covered trade, critical minerals, defence and nuclear cooperation, along with multilateral issues.

"Glad to meet FM Pablo Quirno @pabloquirno of Argentina on the sidelines of @g20org #Atlanta. Discussed trade, critical minerals, defence and nuclear cooperation. Also spoke about multilateral issues," Jaishankar said.

The meetings were part of Jaishankar's engagements at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta, providing an opportunity to review existing partnerships, explore areas for greater cooperation and exchange views on key international developments.

(With inputs from agencies)

Anagha Deshpande is Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. She is currently part of the news team. Before moving into this role, she worked with the Bengaluru desk, where she extensively covered civic issues, Karnataka politics, infrastructure, and urban governance. Over the past seven years, Anagha has worked across multiple facets of digital journalism, including reporting, editing, and video production. She briefly stepped away from journalism, only to realize that the newsroom is where she has the most fun. Her interests lie in tracking national and state politics, particularly South Indian politics, as well as social issues and public policy. She has previously worked with Deccan Herald, Mid-day, The Federal, and ThePrint, and has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. When she isn't chasing stories, Anagha enjoys long aimless walks, reading, hiking, discovering new teas, and, by her own admission, overthinking almost everything.Read More