New York: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described India as a “critical partner” for the United States after meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday during the UN General Assembly session.

According to the US State Department, Rubio appreciated India’s continued engagement on key areas including trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad partnership with Australia and Japan.

The meeting, which was Rubio’s first official engagement of the day, comes amid recent US-India efforts to reset bilateral ties following weeks of friction over tariffs and Russian oil imports.

President Donald Trump recently greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday and praised him for his role in global peace efforts, signaling a warmer tone after earlier criticisms of India’s economy.

Jaishankar later posted on X that their discussion covered a range of bilateral and global issues and stressed the need for sustained engagement on priority areas.

Separately, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to advance negotiations on the first tranche of a trade agreement, with both sides hopeful of reaching an interim deal soon.

In another development, Jaishankar met US ambassador-designate to India, Sergio Gor, who also serves as Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, pending Senate confirmation.