NEW DELHI, India — India on Thursday dismissed a media report claiming that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last year amid stalled trade negotiations between the two countries.
Responding to a question on the report during a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there was no truth to the claim.
“There is absolutely no basis for that report. No such meeting or no such visit has taken place,” Jaiswal said.
The report had alleged that New Delhi conveyed to Washington its willingness to wait until the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s term to conclude a trade agreement.
The clarification came on a day when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted strong momentum in India–U.S. relations, citing progress on what he described as a historic trade deal now in the final stages of detailing.
Jaishankar made the remarks after concluding a February 2–4 visit to the United States, during which he participated in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Concluded a productive and positive visit to the US. Thank Secretary Rubio for his warm hospitality,” Jaishankar said in a post on X. He added that the India–U.S. trade deal would be completed very soon and would open a new phase in bilateral ties, with expanding cooperation in critical minerals, defence, energy, and strategic issues.
During the visit, Jaishankar held separate meetings with Rubio and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, engaging in wide-ranging discussions on the India–U.S. strategic and economic partnership.
Following his meeting with Rubio, Jaishankar said the talks covered bilateral cooperation as well as regional and global issues. He noted that discussions included trade, energy, nuclear cooperation, defence, critical minerals, and technology, with both sides agreeing to move quickly on follow-up engagements.
According to a U.S. State Department readout, the two ministers discussed formalising cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing, an area that has become central to the economic and strategic relationship between the two countries.
The meeting followed an announcement by President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a trade deal aimed at lowering barriers and expanding market access between the two democracies. Both Rubio and Jaishankar welcomed the agreement, emphasising its potential to unlock new economic opportunities and strengthen energy security.
Discussions also focused on regional and multilateral cooperation, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to expanding collaboration through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and underscoring the importance of a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Jaishankar also described his meeting with Treasury Secretary Bessent as productive, saying the discussions focused on advancing economic partnership and strategic cooperation.
Officials on both sides said the engagements reflected the expanding scope of India–U.S. relations, spanning diplomacy, security, trade, finance, and emerging technologies, with critical minerals and advanced manufacturing continuing to be priority areas. (Source: IANS)
