India-US Ties In Focus: Jaishankar, Rubio To Hold Key Talks On The Sidelines Of UNGA Session

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York today (22 Septemer) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, reported Hindustan Times.

Officials said the meeting aims to build on recent improvements in India–US ties and continue efforts to address friction that emerged in recent months.

Jaishankar and Rubio previously met in Washington in January and again in July, but today’s talks mark their first in-person meeting since trade tensions escalated.

Relations soured earlier this year when US President Donald Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, including an additional 25 per cent duty, citing India’s imports of Russian oil.

However, both governments later revived stalled trade negotiations, with Trump expressing confidence that they would face “no difficulty” in finalising an agreement.

The talks between Jaishankar and Rubio coincide with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to the US, where he is leading a delegation for trade discussions.

“The delegation plans to take forward the discussions with a view to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement,” the commerce ministry said.

The meeting also comes amid widespread concerns over the Trump administration’s recent hike in H-1B visa fees.

The White House later clarified that the $100,000 fee is a one-time charge and applies only to new applications, sparing current visa holders.

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