MANILA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar agreed on Wednesday to accelerate work on key defence agreements and conclude an interim bilateral trade deal that Washington said is "almost complete", signalling fresh momentum in the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The two leaders met in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meetings, where they also reviewed developments in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, according to a US State Department readout.
"Secretary Rubio met today with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in Manila. The Secretary and Minister Jaishankar discussed recent developments in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific," State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in the official readout.
The two sides also reviewed progress on defence cooperation.
"The Secretary and Minister Jaishankar discussed finalizing key defense agreements in fulfillment of commitments made between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi last year," the readout said.
Trade figured prominently in the discussions as both governments seek to conclude negotiations that have been under way for months.
"The Secretary and Minister Jaishankar agreed on the importance of finalizing the interim trade deal, which is almost complete," the State Department said.
The bilateral meeting came as the Quad foreign ministers also met in Manila and issued a joint statement reaffirming support for ASEAN and a rules-based Indo-Pacific.
The foreign ministers of the United States, India, Australia and Japan described themselves as "deeply invested in the region's success" and pledged closer cooperation with ASEAN member states.
"As ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partners, we, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Manila to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific and our unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality," the joint statement said.
The four countries said they had discussed strengthening cooperation in maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance.
"We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region," the statement added.
Rubio used the broader ASEAN meetings to underscore Washington's commitment to Southeast Asia, describing the regional grouping as America's principal platform for engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
"As President Trump stated last year at the leaders meeting, the US-ASEAN, at the summit, we're with ASEAN 100 per cent. This is the primary mechanism by which we engage the region," Rubio said in remarks at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the United States.
He also announced expanded US strategic investments in Southeast Asia and argued that the region would shape the global economy in the decades ahead, calling it "the engine of economic growth in the 21st century."
--IANS
