‘Against weaponisation of resources’: Jaishankar details India’s global priorities during Rubio meeting

India on Sunday (May 24) outlined a five-point approach to major regional and global challenges during talks between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasising dialogue, uninterrupted maritime trade, adherence to international law and resilient economic partnerships. Addressing a joint press briefing after delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Jaishankar said India advocates diplomacy and lawful conduct while opposing the weaponisation of trade and resources amid growing geopolitical tensions.

“One, that we advocate dialogue and diplomacy to address conflicts. Two, we support safe and unimpeded maritime commerce. Three, we demand scrupulous respect for international law. Fourth, we are against the weaponisation of market shares and resources. And five, we believe in the value of trusted partnerships and resilient supply chains to de-risk the global economy,” Jaishankar said. The External Affairs Minister said India and the United States have maintained continuous engagement since Rubio assumed office, with interactions taking place in Washington, New York and on the sidelines of international events, including their most recent meeting in France.

“This is the Secretary’s first visit to India, but ever since he has assumed office, we have been in regular touch. This has included occasions in Washington, D.C., and New York, and also on the sidelines of other events, the most recent one being in France. We have had a continuous engagement which has facilitated our overseeing the broad-based and growing cooperation between our two nations,” Jaishankar said.

Highlighting the political understanding between New Delhi and Washington, he said the India-US strategic partnership is rooted in converging national interests across several sectors. “In terms of the political understanding between India and the US, we have a strategic partnership which emanates from a convergence of national interests in many areas,” he stated.

Jaishankar also said Rubio had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, where discussions covered a range of regional and global developments. According to the minister, his own talks with Rubio included discussions on West Asia, the Indian subcontinent, East Asia and his recent visit to the Caribbean region.

“Our talks today over lunch will focus on the latest developments in the Gulf. A few things have happened or seem to be happening overnight, and also on the Ukraine conflict. Indo-Pacific is also on the agenda for the Quad meeting, which we will be doing on May 26,” he said.

On defence and strategic cooperation, Jaishankar referred to the recently renewed 10-year major defence partnership framework agreement between India and the United States, along with the signing of a comprehensive underwater domain awareness roadmap. “We discussed the importance of taking into account the ‘Make in India’ approach and lessons drawn from recent conflicts while going forward in the defence domain,” he added. Speaking on economic cooperation, the minister said both sides discussed the need for early finalisation of the proposed India-US interim trade agreement, which is expected to lay the groundwork for a broader bilateral trade pact.

“On the economic front, we spoke about the value of concluding at an early date, the final text of the interim agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. This will be an important step towards a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement, which was envisaged during Prime Minister Modi’s visit in February 2025,” he said.