External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held discussions with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on a range of issues, including trade, defence cooperation and critical minerals, just days ahead of his likely visit to Washington for a high-level ministerial meeting.
“Always a pleasure to spend time with @DrSJaishankar. We had a highly substantive discussion that covered everything from defence, trade, critical minerals, and working towards our common interests,” Gor said in a social media post after the meeting, hinting at further bilateral engagement in the coming days.
The meeting assumes significance as Jaishankar is expected to travel to the US next week to attend a critical minerals ministerial hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC on February 4. The ministerial inaugural aims to strengthen global cooperation on building resilient and diversified supply chains for critical minerals essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy, defence systems and advanced electronics.
India’s participation reflects its growing role in global supply-chain diversification efforts, particularly as the US and its partners seek to reduce dependence on dominant suppliers, notably China. The meeting is expected to bring together ministers and senior officials from key partner countries to align strategies on exploration, processing and strategic stockpiling.
Jaishankar’s proposed visit comes amid intensified diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Washington. Earlier this month, he held a telephonic conversation with Rubio, during which the two discussed bilateral trade, critical minerals cooperation, nuclear energy, defence and broader energy ties.
Officials said Jaishankar could also hold bilateral talks with Rubio on the margins of the ministerial to push forward cooperation in these sectors and consolidate ties that have seen some strain due to recent trade frictions.
The engagement follows soon after the conclusion of the India-EU free trade agreement (FTA), underlining India’s active diplomacy across multiple economic and strategic fronts as it deepens engagement with major global partners on trade, technology and critical infrastructure.
Jaishankar’s participation in the Washington meet is seen as signalling New Delhi’s intent to play a shaping role in emerging international frameworks on critical minerals — a key pillar of the global energy transition and future technology supply chains — and the growing strategic depth of India-US ties.
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