‘Terrorism A Shared Challenge’: Jaishankar, Rubio Hold Wide-Ranging Talks In Delhi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said terrorism remains a "shared challenge" for India and the United States, after talks in New Delhi with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that also focused on the Gulf situation, West Asia tensions, the Ukraine conflict, defence ties, trade, energy and the wider India-US strategic partnership.

Jaishankar said the two delegations held extensive discussions before the joint press briefing and were set to continue talking over lunch, especially on fast-changing developments in the Gulf region. Jaishankar thanked the United States for recent cooperation on counter-terrorism, including the extradition of a key accused from the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case.

India-US strategic partnership and terrorism as a shared concern

During the media interaction, Jaishankar underlined that terrorism is now a central point in India-US engagement. "India and the US have common interests but also shared challenges. Common is terrorism. Our position is very clear," Jaishankar said. Jaishankar noted that agencies from both countries are working closely together and described that cooperation as strong and continuing.

Rubio echoed Jaishankar's message and stressed that both countries have suffered from global terror networks. "Both our countries suffered due to global terror networks," Rubio said, backing the focus on counter-terrorism cooperation. The emphasis on terrorism came alongside discussions on regional issues, defence, trade and supply chains that form the backbone of the India-US strategic partnership.

Regional crises and India-US strategic partnership in Gulf and West Asia

Jaishankar said global and regional issues occupied a major part of the talks in New Delhi. He explained that discussions covered West Asia, the Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and East Asia. "Yesterday, during the Secretary's call on the Prime Minister, some global and regional issues were discussed," Jaishankar said, referring to Rubio's meeting with the Prime Minister.

Jaishankar added that their follow-up meeting at the embassy looked at developments across West Asia and neighbouring regions. "In our subsequent meeting at the embassy, we took up developments pertaining to West Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia." Jaishankar said the lunch session would concentrate on the latest developments in the Gulf and on the Ukraine conflict.

Diplomatic outreach, India-US strategic partnership and Jaishankar’s wider brief

Jaishankar said recent overseas travel also shaped his conversation with Rubio. He mentioned sharing impressions from a Caribbean tour, linking those insights to India’s broader diplomatic agenda. Jaishankar outlined India's approach to foreign policy as backing "dialogue and diplomacy", "unimpeded maritime commerce", "international law", and "trusted partners and resilient supply chains" in a complex global environment.

Before the press briefing, Jaishankar described ties with Washington as a "comprehensive global strategic partnership" that influences many regions. "We have converging interests on many issues and in many parts of the world," Jaishankar said during delegation-level talks. Jaishankar added, "These are complicated times, but as strong partners, I'm very confident we'll have very open and productive discussions."

Defence, trade and energy anchor India-US strategic partnership

The two sides reviewed a wide security and economic agenda, including the renewed 10-year defence partnership framework agreement. Jaishankar said this framework featured prominently, together with 'Make in India’ discussions and lessons Indian and US officials have drawn from recent armed conflicts. Defence industrial cooperation and joint production are part of the ongoing dialogue.

On trade, Jaishankar said both governments are working to complete the interim trade agreement discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's February 2025 visit to the United States. Energy security for India's 1.4 billion people also remained a priority. Jaishankar welcomed growth in India-US energy trade, linking it to long-term supply security and pricing stability.

Quad, critical minerals and India-US strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific

Rubio said India and the United States are "aligned on energy" and confirmed talks on critical minerals, supply chains and nuclear cooperation. Rubio also highlighted the Quad grouping. He called it "a form of alignment between four countries," indicating an expanding role for India, the United States, Japan and Australia in Indo-Pacific security and economic issues.

The breadth of topics discussed is shown below.

Democracy, global influence and India-US strategic partnership

Speaking about the political foundations of the relationship, Rubio said India is one of Washington's most important partners. "It's an honour to be here with all of you in this important visit to one of our most important strategic partners in the world," Rubio said, stressing that shared interests define how the two countries work together.

Rubio explained his view of strategic alignment. "A strategic partnership is when your interests as two nations are aligned, and you work together strategically to solve those problems," Rubio said. He also pointed to democratic structures in both countries. "We are the two largest democracies in the world," Rubio said, highlighting the accountability leaders face from voters.

Rubio argued that India has the capability to shape outcomes beyond its borders. "There are a handful of countries in the world which have economic and diplomatic power, and India is one of them," Rubio said. "India has the ability to influence global events." Jaishankar’s comments on converging interests underlined that assessment of India’s international role.

Visit schedule and context for India-US strategic partnership

Rubio is visiting India for four days, covering Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi. The trip takes place just before the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which New Delhi is scheduled to host on May 26. That timing adds weight to discussions on Indo-Pacific coordination, energy supplies, maritime routes and regional security among the four Quad members.

The New Delhi talks between Jaishankar and Rubio placed terrorism, Gulf tensions and strategic coordination at the centre of the India-US agenda, while also pushing forward cooperation in defence, trade, energy and technology. Both sides presented the partnership as broad, stable and active across regions, built on democratic systems and regular engagement at the highest political levels.