External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, amid U.S. tariff uncertainty and higher H-1B visa fees. The two diplomats met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly High-level Week taking place in New York.

Sharing a photo of the duo, Jaishankar wrote, “Good to meet @SecRubio this morning in New York. Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch.”

This was the third in-person meeting of the two office holders. Jaishankar and Rubio were last seen in July during the Indo-Pacific Quad Foreign Ministers at the Department of State, U.S, before Trump imposed an additional 25% tariffs on India on its Russian oil purchases.

The duo discussed bilateral and sectoral issues concerning energy, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals.

“Secretary Rubio, reiterating that India is a relationship of critical importance to the United States, expressed his appreciation for the Indian government’s continued engagement on a number of issues including trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, and other items related to the bilateral relationship,” a statement by the U.S. administration read.

“Secretary Rubio and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar agreed the United States and India will continue working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad,” the statement added.

Rubio also wrote in a post on X, “Met with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar at UNGA. We discussed key areas of our bilateral relationship, including trade, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals and more to generate prosperity for India and the United States.”

The meeting comes at a time when the Donald Trump-led U.S. administration increased the H-1B visa fee by 1000-fold to $100,000 (~₹89 lakh), raising worries for Indians travelling to the U.S. for studies and jobs. However, the duo reportedly did not discuss the matter during the meeting.

Aside from the U.S., Jaishankar also met foreign ministers from the European Union on Monday. He is set to hold multiple bilateral and multilateral meetings during his U.S. visit. On September 27, he will be making the national statement at the General Debate at the UNGA.

Additionally, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is also in the U.S. this week to discuss the two countries' bilateral trade deal. Goyal reportedly met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for the third time this year.