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.
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. After arriving in Mumbai on October 20, he met Jaishankar, before concluding his three-day official visit on October 22. Took stock of our bilateral cooperation”. 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. 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. The external affairs minister also met German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, expressing pleasure at the interaction. “Great to meet FM Johann Wadephul of Germany. “A pleasure to sit down with FM Mauro Vieira of Brazil. His meeting with Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez focused on strengthening bilateral ties and giving fresh momentum to the partnership. Jaishankar also met Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand to review the progress of bilateral cooperation.
Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Appreciated @SecRubio’s hospitality in Atlanta for the @g20org FMM. 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. 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. “Discussed the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation with EU HRVP @kajakallas,” he said. 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. Our conversation covered bilateral and global issues,” he said. “My meeting with FM Roberto Velasco Álvarez @r_velascoa of Mexico was focussed on giving a new impetus to our ties,” Jaishankar said.
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.
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. 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)
Assessed the steady growth of our cooperation,” he said. Also spoke about multilateral issues,” Jaishankar said. “Delighted to meet FM @AnitaAnandMP of Canada today.
