S Jaishankar Meets US Secretary Of State Marco Rubio At Kuala Lumpur

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur amid trade negotiations between the two countries.

"Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues," he said in a post on X.

There was no immediate statement from the Ministry of External Affairs Minister or the US State Department regarding the meeting. Both top diplomats are in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.

Jaishankar and Rubio last met on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.

On Sunday, Rubio told the media the US sees an opportunity to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan, but it will not be at the expense of its historic and important ties with India. Referring to India's energy ties with Russia, he said New Delhi has already expressed a desire to diversify its procurement of crude oil.

"I think the Indians are very mature when it comes to diplomacy and things of that nature. Look, they have some relationships with countries that we don't have relationships with. So, it's part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy," he said.

The relations between India and the US have been strained since Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% levy for New Delhi's procurement of Russian oil.

India has also denied Donald Trump's claim of mediation during the brief conflict with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

Recently, Trump claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him that India would stop buying Russian crude oil. Last week, the US president dialled Modi and extended Diwali greetings.

Notably, India is scheduled to host the Quad Leaders' Summit later this year with Japan, Australia, and the US.