S Jaishankar Meets US Secretary Rubio at G7: Discusses Bilateral Ties and Global Issues After Delhi Blast

India is participating in the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting as an invited partner.

Washington:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conducted a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday while attending the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Canada.

On his social media platform X, EAM Jaishankar shared: "Good to meet @SecRubio this morning at #G7 FMM. Appreciate his condolences on the loss of lives in the blast in Delhi. Discussed our bilateral ties, focusing on trade and supply chains. Exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East/West Asia situation and Indo-Pacific."

Earlier on Tuesday, Jaishankar engaged in multiple bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Canada, Mexico, France, Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Germany.

India has been invited to participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting under the Canadian presidency, alongside other partner countries including Brazil, Australia and South Korea.

The two-day conference is centered on addressing global security challenges, economic resilience, energy cooperation and strengthening strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

In an official statement released Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that Jaishankar's participation demonstrates India's "continued commitment" to collaborate with international partners.

"EAM's participation in the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting reflects India's continued commitment to working with international partners in addressing global challenges and bolstering the voice of the Global South in international fora," the statement noted.

Jaishankar's discussion with Rubio comes shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that the United States is very close to finalizing a trade agreement with India.

"We are making a deal with India, a much different deal than we had in the past...We're getting a fair deal, just a fair trade deal. We're getting close...I think we're pretty close to doing a deal that's good for everybody," President Trump stated on Monday.

Trump made these comments during the swearing-in ceremony for Sergio Gor, who has been appointed as the next US ambassador to India.

The President also highlighted his "fantastic relationship with Prime Minister Modi" and described India as one of America's most "important international relationships."

"I'm trusting Sergio to help strengthen one of our country's most important international relationships, and that's the strategic partnership with the Republic of India. It's a big deal. India is home to one of the world's oldest civilisations, the largest country in the world...We have a fantastic relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and Sergio has only enhanced that, because he's already friendly with the Prime Minister," Trump added.