Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said Bangladesh was a topic of discussion during his meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, although he refrained from providing details.
He made the remarks during a press briefing at the Indian Embassy in Washington DC on Wednesday (22 January), reports the ANI.
A video of the press conference was shared on Jaishankar’s verified account on X (formerly Twitter) and subsequently published on the Indian Ministry of External Affairs website.
The video features Jaishankar fielding questions on a range of issues, including US-India relations.
According to India’s state-run news agency PTI, Jaishankar was in Washington to attend the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
During his visit, he met with the new US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor, Mike Walz.
Additionally, he participated in the ministerial meeting of the Quad alliance, comprising the US, India, Australia, and Japan.
When asked during the press briefing whether the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh was discussed in his meetings with Rubio and Walz, Jaishankar responded, “Yes, we had a brief discussion on Bangladesh. I don’t think it would be appropriate to go into details.”
On the future of US-India relations, Jaishankar noted that the Trump administration had demonstrated a clear interest in advancing bilateral ties.
“It is evident that the new administration prioritises its relationship with India, as underscored by its invitation to India to attend the inauguration,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, the US State Department issued a press release on Tuesday regarding Jaishankar’s meeting with Rubio.
The release, authored by the department’s new spokesperson Tammy Bruce, highlighted the mutual commitment of the two countries to strengthening their partnership.
The statement noted that Jaishankar and Rubio discussed a broad range of issues, including regional developments, opportunities to deepen US-India ties, emerging technologies, defence cooperation, energy collaboration, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Rubio also emphasised the Trump administration’s aspirations to enhance economic ties with India, while raising concerns about irregular immigration.
