India, US Near Interim Trade Agreement as Jaishankar and Rubio Hold High-Level Talks

India and the United States have moved closer to finalising an interim trade agreement, with senior officials from both countries describing the negotiations as being in their final stages during a meeting held in Manila.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where the two leaders reviewed progress on the India-US strategic partnership and discussed key areas of bilateral cooperation.

According to the US State Department, both sides agreed on the importance of concluding the interim trade deal, which officials said is now "almost complete." The agreement is expected to strengthen economic ties between the two countries while addressing trade-related issues.

India and the United States are close to finalising an interim trade agreement, as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed trade, defence and regional security during talks in Manila.

Beyond trade, the discussions also focused on advancing defence cooperation. The two leaders reviewed efforts to implement defence commitments made during earlier engagements between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, with both sides exploring ways to deepen strategic collaboration.

Jaishankar said the meeting covered a wide range of priority areas, including trade, tariffs, energy security, defence, critical minerals and artificial intelligence. He added that both countries also exchanged views on regional and global developments, along with issues of mutual interest at multilateral forums.

The meeting also included discussions on the evolving security situation in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, regions that remain central to the strategic interests of both nations.

During his visit to Manila, Jaishankar also participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where representatives from India, the United States, Japan and Australia reviewed developments across the Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional security, economic cooperation and a rules-based international order.

The latest diplomatic engagement underscores the growing momentum in India-US relations, with both countries continuing to expand cooperation across trade, defence, technology and regional security.