New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA), days after President Donald Trump announced a steep $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas — a move that has rattled India’s tech industry. The meeting also came against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations between New Delhi and Washington over a trade deal, following Trump’s decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods — 25 per cent reciprocal and 25 per cent penalty for India’s purchase of Russian oil.

Rubio described ties with India as being of “critical importance to the United States”. According to a State Department readout, he praised New Delhi’s “continued engagement on a number of issues including trade, defence

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