Jaishankar to attend minerals meet hosted by Rubio on Feb 4

Earlier this month, US Ambassador Sergio Gor had said that India would be invited to the US-led strategic initiative Pax Silica. In their conversation, Jaishankar and Rubio had discussed bilateral trade negotiations, critical minerals, defence, nuclear cooperation, energy and a possible meeting next month.

The trade deal negotiations are key, since India is facing 50 per cent tariffs from the US since August last year.

The two have met and spoken several times in 2025, starting from their meeting in January last year, on the very first day Rubio took over as Secretary of State.

Thereafter, the two have met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and the G7 Foreign Ministers’ gathering.

In July 2025, Jaishankar travelled to the US for the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting.

In September 2025, in their first meeting after the Trump administration levied 50 per cent tariffs on India and decided to impose a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applicants, their conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of “current concern” – indicating that hot-button issues were addressed.

In October 2025, Jaishankar held talks with Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN and East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur amid chill in the ties that had set in following the 50 per cent tariffs (including a 25 per cent penalty over India’s purchase of Russian oil), closer US-Pakistan ties and Trump’s repeated claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May last year.

In November 2025, the two ministers interacted on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Canada, their discussions focusing on trade and supply chains. They also exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East situation and the Indo-Pacific. Since September 2025, India has reduced its Russian oil imports – signaling to Washington that the US should take off the 25 per cent punitive tariff.

Sources said waiver of this punitive tariff can considerably release the tension in the relationship even as two sides continue negotiating a trade deal.