External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) amid the H-1B visa row and tariff tensions.

This was their first meeting since relations soured following Washington’s decision to impose 50% tariffs as a penalty for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil — a move US President Donald Trump argued was aiding Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine.

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After the meeting, Rubio said India was a relationship of “critical importance” to the United States. He expressed appreciation for the Indian government’s continued engagement on various issues, including trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, and other aspects of the bilateral partnership.

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