ANI file photo
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday held talks with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in New Delhi, during which the two sides reviewed the full spectrum of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.In a post on X after the meeting, Jaishankar said the discussions covered trade and energy, defence and security, critical minerals and artificial intelligence, nuclear cooperation, people-to-people ties, and cooperation in counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics efforts. Regional, global and multilateral issues of mutual interest also figured in the talks.”Reviewed the entire spectrum of our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including trade & energy, defence & security, critical minerals & AI, nuclear & people-to-people, counter-terror & counter-narcotics cooperation. Regional, global and multilateral issues of mutual interest were also discussed. Have a detailed readout at the press conference thereafter,” Jaishankar said through a post on X after the meeting. Earlier in the day, Rubio and Jaishankar addressed a joint press conference in New Delhi, highlighting the deepening strategic partnership between India and the United States while also responding to questions on immigration reforms and visa-related concerns. Speaking at Hyderabad House following delegation-level talks, Rubio said ties between the world’s two largest democracies had moved beyond the framework of conventional diplomacy. “A strategic partnership is something very different,” he said. “A strategic partnership is when your interests as two nations are aligned, and you work together strategically to solve those problems.”Jaishankar said India would continue to diversify its energy sourcing and rely on multiple dependable suppliers as part of its responsibility towards its citizens, underlining that energy security remains a key national priority amid ongoing global uncertainties.Jaishankar stressed that energy security requires de-risking through diversified sourcing, describing the United States as a “very significant and reliable source” of energy for India.The minister added India had steadily increased its energy imports from the US over the years, with a sharper rise seen recently. “There’s actually been a very significant uptick in our energy imports from the United States. It’s not new. It started many, many years ago, but I think it’s really picked up in the last year. And where India is concerned, this is an era of de-risking and probably energy more than anything else requires de-risking. So, a big country, if you are to do de-risking, looks at multiple sourcing. And for us, the United States has emerged as a very significant and reliable source of energy, as indeed have some other countries,” he said.Referring to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Jaishankar said India’s strategy was to diversify its energy basket to safeguard national interests. “The way we will deal with the current situation in Hormuz and, frankly, going forward as well, is to diversify our energy sources because that is at the heart of our energy security,” he said.The meeting came a day after Marco Rubio called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ongoing four-day visit to India. Rubio described his first day in the country as “fantastic” and repeatedly emphasised that India and the United States were not merely allies, but “strategic allies” with shared interests spanning defence, trade, energy, technology and counterterrorism.The talks were attended by senior officials from both sides, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Go to Source
