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New Delhi
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit the United States next week, sources said on Wednesday.
The US Department of State had said earlier this month that the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, to be held on February 4 by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will bring together partners from across the globe to strengthen cooperation on critical mineral supply chains.
The State Department said in a post on X that the ministerial will focus on enhancing international collaboration to secure reliable, resilient critical mineral supply chains, which are essential to the US’s economic and national security, technological leadership, and energy transition.
“On February 4, Secretary Rubio will welcome partners from across the globe to the State Department for the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial. Strengthening critical mineral supply chains with our international partners is vital to America’s economic and national security, technological leadership, and a resilient energy future,” the State Department stated in its post.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Thursday and expressed confidence that under Gor India-US ties would be further strengthened.
In a post on X he said, “Pleased to meet @USAmbIndia Sergio Gor today in New Delhi. Our conversation covered the many dimensions of our partnership. Welcomed him and expressed confidence that he would contribute to the strengthening of India – US relations.”
In a post on X, the US Ambassador said that the two held discussions on several areas like defence, trade and critical minerals.
He wrote, “Always a pleasure to spend time with @DrSJaishankar. We had a highly substantive discussion that covered everything from defense, trade, critical minerals, and working towards our common interests. Stay tuned for much more!”
Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent convened a high-level Finance Ministerial in Washington this month to discuss ways to secure and diversify global supply chains for critical minerals, with a particular focus on rare-earth elements, amid growing concerns about supply vulnerabilities.
According to a release by the US Department of the Treasury, the meeting brought together finance ministers and senior officials from key economies, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
India was represented by Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw.
