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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday (local time) met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington DC as part of an ongoing three-day visit to the United States, where he is participating in the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial on February 4.
In a post on X, EAM held discussions with the US Treasury Secretary to advance the India-US economic partnership and strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries. "Pleased to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington DC today. Had a useful discussion on advancement of India - US economic partnership and strategic cooperation," the External Affairs Minister said in his post. Jaishankar is also set to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Department of State today. The meeting is scheduled for 3:30 pm (US local time). Ahead of the ministerial, the US Department of State announced that Secretary Rubio will convene partners from around the world to strengthen cooperation on critical mineral supply chains. The gathering will focus on strengthening international collaboration to secure reliable, resilient supply chains essential to economic and national security, technological leadership, and the energy transition. According to a notice issued by the Office of the Spokesperson of the US State Department on Monday, the US will host the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial on February 4 at the Department of State, aimed at strengthening and diversifying global critical minerals supply chains. Rubio will chair the ministerial, with delegations from more than 50 nations expected to participate. The gathering is being described as a historic effort to build collective momentum for cooperation to secure critical minerals essential to technological innovation, economic growth, and national security. The event will begin with opening remarks by US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior US officials. The EAM visit comes on the backdrop of the India-US trade deal, announced on Monday following a telephone discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, under which Washington has agreed to lower reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 25 per cent, effective immediately. Following the announcement, Jaishankar welcomed the trade deal, saying that the agreement will boost job creation, spur economic growth, promote innovation, and strengthen India's flagship 'Make in India' initiative. In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar hailed the announcement, stating, "Welcome the announcements on bilateral trade following the conversation between PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump. This will create more jobs, spur growth and promote innovation in both economies. It will strengthen 'Make in India' endeavours and encourage trusted technology ties. The opportunities in our economic engagement are truly vast and we are confident of realising them. A robust economic relationship is the strongest foundation for our strategic partnership." (ANI)
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