After meeting EAM Jaishankar, Marco Rubio declares India ‘critical’ to USUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio called India “critical” to American interests after meeting EAM Jaishankar, with talks covering trade, defense, energy, and the Quad, even as differences remain on tariffs and Russian oil. By IANS Published Date - 23 September 2025, 08:41 AMNew York: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared that India is of “critical” value to his country and welcomed its ongoing engagement in trade, according to the State Department. Significantly, the meeting with Jaishankar was Rubio’s first official engagement of the day as he held a series of bilaterals with world leaders attending the high-level General Assembly session. Jaishankar posted on X: “Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Before their talks, Jaishankar and Rubio made a cordial appearance before the media, shook hands, but declined to take questions.