Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State at ASEAN summit
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur at the ASEAN summit on Monday.
Their chat zeroed in on boosting India-US ties and sorting out regional issues, all while both sides are nearing conclusion of talks on a long-awaited trade deal—after five rounds, officials say it's very near to being done.
Jaishankar also met leaders from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
With recent US tariffs on Indian imports causing some tension, getting this trade deal across the finish line could smooth things over and spark more economic collaboration.
Plus, as key players in the Indo-Pacific region and partners in ASEAN discussions, both India and the US have a lot riding on keeping things stable—economically and strategically.
The summit also saw Jaishankar connect with leaders from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to keep those regional conversations going strong.