NEW YORK – Today, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York. The high-level meeting, which took place during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, is an important step in improving relations between India and the United States.
People who know about the situation say that the meeting is part of continuous efforts to close the gaps that have opened up between the two countries in the past several months. The talks will probably be about important topics that affect both countries, like the recent decision by the Trump administration to raise the yearly H-1B visa price by a lot.
This will be the first time Jaishankar and Rubio have met in person since the U.S. put a 50% tax on Indian imports. U.S. President Donald Trump put the tariffs in place, which included an extra 25% charge. He said that India was still buying Russian oil as the rationale for the decision.
But since then, there have been hints of a diplomatic turnaround in relations. Both parties have started trade discussions again that had been put on hold, and President Trump is sure that they can reach an agreement “without any trouble.”
The time of the meeting is quite important. It happens at the same time as a visit from a group led by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, who is also in the U.S. today for trade negotiations. The Commerce Ministry said in a statement, “The delegation plans to continue the talks with the goal of reaching a mutually beneficial trade agreement as soon as possible.”
The important talks between Jaishankar and Rubio will also include the new H-1B visa cost from the Trump administration. A lot of Indian tech workers are worried about this policy shift because they make up a large part of H-1B visa holders.