New Delhi: Concluding his “productive and positive” visit to the US, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the “historic” India-US trade deal is in the final stages of working out the details and will be finalized soon and thanked his Indian counterpart Marco Rubio For his hospitality.Jaishankar said on the X day that the agreement opened a new stage in India-US bilateral relations, brought great possibilities to the relationship between the two countries, and marked the resumption of high-level contacts in the coming months.The minister, who is in the United States for a critical minerals ministerial meeting hosted by Rubio, said: “Our cooperation on critical minerals is advancing rapidly. Engagement on strategic issues, defense and energy issues is expected in the coming days. Overall, strong momentum is evident.”According to MEA, Jaishankar highlighted the challenges of over-concentration and the importance of reducing supply risks at the meeting and talked about structured international cooperation. “He also highlighted India’s efforts to build resilience through our National Critical Minerals Mission. He also expressed support for the FORGE (Forum for Resource Geostrategic Engagement) initiative launched on the heels of the Critical Minerals Partnership,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.During the visit, Jaishankar also held a bilateral meeting with Rubio, with the two leaders welcoming the trade deal and emphasizing the importance of the two democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance shared energy security goals.The leaders concluded the meeting by expressing their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad, according to the U.S. State Department. “They recognize that a prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains critical to advancing our shared interests,” the U.S. statement said. The two countries appear to have finally resolved their trade differences, raising hopes that President Donald Trump will visit India for an early Quad summit, which India hopes to host as soon as possible.
