New York, Sep 23 India and the US on Wednesday discussed bilateral relations and New Delhi’s concerns regarding the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
Jaishankar, who arrived in New York City Sunday, is leading the Indian delegation for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
“Good to meet @SecRubio of the US #UNHighLevelWeek. Reiterated India’s interests and concerns with regard to SRIA (Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act). Also discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations,” Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting.
US President Donald Trump signed into law the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” last week, which authorises him to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries buying Russian oil and gas, including China and India.
In its reaction, New Delhi said that it will take all necessary steps to protect its economic interests and ensure energy security for the nation.
After meeting with Jaishankar, Rubio said that India and the US are coordinating on key regional priorities.
“Great to meet with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar in New York today,” Rubio posted on X.
“Together, we are building on the U.S.-India strategic partnership and coordinating on key regional priorities and upcoming multilateral efforts,” Rubio said.
Speaking about SRIA, US State Department Spokesperson Thomas Pigott told PTI that “in terms of sanctions on Russia, that’s still going through the legislative process” and said he would not comment on legislation until it’s been finalised.
He said that when it comes to the war in Ukraine, the US wants durable peace between the parties.
“We’ve also been clear that we think that countries that are supporting that effort need to think about that and say, ‘are we actually making the situation worse?’,” Pigott said.
Talking about India-US ties, Pigott said, “it’s obviously a very important relationship, that takes a huge amount of importance.”
He recalled that the first meeting Rubio had upon assuming charge in January 2025 was with the Foreign Ministers of the Quad – Australia, India, Japan and the US.
“I think that shows from really day one the importance of it,” Pigott said, while also noting Rubio’s visit to India.
Rubio visited India in May this year and extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of US President Donald Trump to visit the White House in the near future.
Rubio and Jaishankar also met in Manila in July this year and discussed priority areas including trade, tariffs, energy, defence, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence.
They agreed on the importance of finalising the interim India-US trade deal, the US State Department had said after the Manila meeting.
(PTI News)
