Jaishankar meets Rubio ahead of 80th UNGA session, first in-person meeting since additional tariffs on India

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for bilateral talks, ahead of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

#WATCH | New York: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session. pic.twitter.com/BPoTm5Udfi

— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2025

The meeting at Lotte New York Palace marks the first face-to-face interaction between them since President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, raising the total tariffs on India to 50%.

Their last encounter was in July in Washington DC during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

This meeting coincides with India and the US holding talks aimed at reaching an early trade agreement.

On Monday, a delegation led by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will meet with US officials in the city.

“The delegation plans to take forward the discussions with a view to achieving early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement,” PTI quoted the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as saying in a statement.

The statement added that during the last visit of officials from the office of the US Trade Representative to India on September 16, positive discussions were held on various aspects of the trade deal, and it was decided to intensify efforts in this regard.

Jaishankar, who arrived in New York on Sunday for the high-level UNGA week, will hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the session and will deliver the national statement at the General Debate on September 27 from the iconic green UNGA podium.

With inputs from agencies