Secretary of State Rubio Meets Indian Counterpart Jaishankar in Manila

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets US Secretary Marco Rubio on sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Philippines July 22, 2026. PHOTOS: X.com/drsjaishankar

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar in Manila on the sidelines of the meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott, in a statement said, the Secretary and Minister Jaishankar discussed recent developments in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. The two also discussed “finalizing key defense agreements in fulfillment of commitments made between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi last year.”

They also “agreed on the importance of finalizing the interim trade deal, which is almost complete.”

Jaishankar on his X.com posted about his meeting with Secretary Rubio.

“Pleased to meet @SecRubio of the USA here in Manila. Our meeting focused on areas which are priority for the (India-US) Comperhensive Global Strategic Partnership, including trade & tariffs, energy, defence & security, critical minerals & artificial intelligence,” Jaishankar posted.

“We also exchanged quick perspectives on regional, global and multilateral issues of mutual interest,” he added.

EAM Jaishankar also met Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand, about which he tweeted, “India-Canada cooperation has been steadily growing. Our conversation focused on achieving the goals for the relationship set by our Prime Ministers.”

Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand meets India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar July 22, in Manila, Philippines, on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting.

He listed a number of foreign ministers he met in the Philippines during the ongoing ASEAN conference, among them, the Finance Minister of New Zealand, Winston Peters, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Thailand’s Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Jaishankar characterized his meeting with Lavrov as an “in-depth” one where the two reviewed bilateral relations.

“Reiterated our strong concern regarding the safety of Indian seafarers in the region. Discussed various aspects of our partnership, including trade & investment, energy & connectivity, science & technology, and mobility. Also exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation.”