No Weaponisation of Trade, Respect for International law: India’s 5-Point Stand as Jaishankar Meets Rubio
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday (May 24, 2026) presented India’s five-point framework on key regional and global issues at a joint press briefing with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio following delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
India, Jaishankar said, advocates dialogue and diplomacy for conflict resolution, supports uninterrupted maritime commerce, demands scrupulous respect for international law, opposes the weaponisation of market shares and resources, and believes in the value of trusted partnerships and resilient supply chains to de-risk the global economy.
“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,” he said.
ON BILATERAL ENGAGEMENT
Jaishankar noted that Rubio’s New Delhi visit was his first to India as Secretary of State, but said the two sides had maintained continuous engagement since he assumed office through meetings in Washington D.C., New York, and on the sidelines of international events, most recently in France.
“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,” he said.
Rubio had also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, during which the two leaders discussed a range of global and regional developments, Jaishankar added. Sunday’s talks covered developments in West Asia, the Indian subcontinent, East Asia, and the Caribbean region, with further discussions on the Gulf and the Ukraine conflict planned over lunch.
“Indo-Pacific is also on the agenda for the Quad meeting, which we will be doing on May 26,” Jaishankar said.
DEFENCE AND STRATEGIC COOPERATION
On the defence front, Jaishankar referred to the recently renewed 10-year major defence partnership framework between India and the United States, as well as the signing of a comprehensive underwater domain awareness roadmap. He said both sides discussed the relevance of India’s ‘Make in India’ approach and lessons from recent conflicts in shaping the defence cooperation agenda going forward.
TRADE AND ENERGY
On the economic front, both countries discussed the early finalisation of the India-US interim trade agreement, which Jaishankar said would be a stepping stone toward the comprehensive bilateral trade deal envisaged during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Washington in February 2025.
Energy security and nuclear cooperation also featured prominently. Jaishankar said ensuring accessible and affordable energy for India’s 1.4 billion people remains the government’s core responsibility, and welcomed the expansion in bilateral energy trade. He further noted that the passage of the Shanti Act had opened new possibilities for nuclear cooperation, with an American delegation having recently visited India to advance discussions in the domain.
CRITICAL MINERALS, AI, AND QUAD
Jaishankar highlighted India-US cooperation in critical minerals, emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence, noting that the two countries work together bilaterally, through the Quad, and as part of like-minded groupings. He said India had joined the Pax Silica initiative and was part of the Forge initiative, and pointed to the AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi in February as an indicator of the bilateral relationship’s potential in the technology space.
TERRORISM AND NARCOTICS
On terrorism, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s position of zero tolerance, acknowledging strong counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries. He specifically recognised the extradition from the United States to India of a key planner of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and said the two nations would intensify cooperation both bilaterally and in international forums, including on countering illegal narcotics trade.
RUBIO: INDIA-US TIES HAVE NOT LOST MOMENTUM
Rubio, for his part, said the India-US relationship had not lost momentum and expressed confidence that ties would emerge “much stronger in the coming years.” He said both sides were “strategically aligned” on nearly all key global issues and expressed hope that the long-pending bilateral trade deal would be concluded soon.
IRAN DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY
In a significant aside, Rubio said an announcement was possible later on Sunday regarding a deal with Iran that could formally end the West Asia conflict. He said the emerging agreement would address US concerns over the Strait of Hormuz which Iran had largely blocked in response to US-Israeli military action and would set in motion a process toward eliminating the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon.
“I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi. His remarks followed a statement by President Donald Trump that a proposal including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz had been “largely negotiated.”