India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar convened with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during the ASEAN summit. The meeting centered on enhancing the strategic partnership between India and the United States, alongside discussions on contemporary regional and global affairs. Minister Jaishankar shared his positive assessment of the meeting on X, stating, “Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues.” This high-level exchange reinforces the strong diplomatic relationship between the two nations.
Secretary Rubio had previously addressed concerns that the US’s growing strategic ties with Pakistan might sideline India. He firmly stated that the US’s relationship with Islamabad would not undermine its “deep, historic, and important” partnership with New Delhi. Speaking to the press, Rubio highlighted India’s mature foreign policy, which enables it to engage with a diverse range of countries. “I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important,” Rubio affirmed.
Rubio further elaborated on the US’s global engagement strategy, explaining, “We have to have relations with a lot of different countries. We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan, and that’s our job – to try to figure out how many countries we can find and how we can work with them on things of common interest.” While acknowledging India’s historical concerns with Pakistan, he emphasized the pragmatic need for broad international cooperation. He praised India’s sophisticated diplomatic approach, noting its maturity and pragmatism in foreign relations.
In parallel, the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit in Kuala Lumpur saw a strengthening of ties between India and ASEAN nations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, participating virtually, addressed key collaboration areas including counter-terrorism, the timely review of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement, and maritime security. This was the Prime Minister’s twelfth participation in the ASEAN-India Summit. The summit reviewed progress in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and explored avenues for future cooperation. Prime Minister Modi stressed the critical global challenge posed by terrorism and the imperative for global unity in combating it.