The 47th ASEAN Summit is underway in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The summit, which runs from October 26-28, is being chaired by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the summit virtually this time, but in his place, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar travelled to Kuala Lumpur to represent India.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, on Monday, October 27, Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar met with the United States of America's Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Jaishankar also shared a photo with him on social media.
During the meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio, several issues were discussed. The primary focus was on India-US relations, with discussions on measures to strengthen them. Additionally, the foreign ministers of both countries also deliberated on regional and global matters.
The meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio comes at a time when India and the United States are reportedly close to a trade deal. Several rounds of discussions have already taken place between the trade teams of both nations. A recent media report suggests that both countries are nearing a trade agreement. Experts in the field of trade deals indicate that a trade agreement between India and the US could be finalised soon. Following this trade deal, US tariffs on India could potentially decrease from 50% to 15-16%.
