US-India COMPACT at Core of Strategic Talks Between Jaishankar and Rubio
- Jaishankar and US Secretary Marco Rubio centered their talks on the US-India COMPACT, aiming to strengthen cooperation in defence, trade, energy, counter-narcotics, and immigration.
- The COMPACT includes a 10-year defence framework, 'Mission 500' to boost trade to $500 billion by 2030, and collaboration in space and AI technologies.
- Jaishankar also met US Energy Secretary to deepen energy partnerships and held bilateral meetings with Australian and Japanese ministers to enhance Indo-Pacific cooperation.
The US-India COMPACT, a comprehensive framework for cooperation, took centre stage during a key meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting underscored the growing strategic partnership between the two democracies across critical sectors.
State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Secretary Rubio emphasized the strength of the bilateral relationship and the ongoing implementation of the US-India COMPACT. The programme aims to deepen collaboration across trade, defence, energy, counter-narcotics, countering illegal immigration, and more.
Jaishankar posted on X, highlighting that the two leaders discussed bilateral ties in trade, security, critical technologies, mobility, connectivity, and energy. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues. Both had earlier participated in the Quad ministerial meeting alongside Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japan’s Iwaya Takeshi.
The COMPACT short for Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology was launched in February during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington. It is designed to foster transformative cooperation and deliver tangible results within this year, signalling the high level of trust between the two nations.
Key initiatives under the COMPACT include a new ten-year Framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership in the 21st Century and 'Mission 500', an ambitious target to raise bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The partnership also envisions deeper collaboration in space exploration and artificial intelligence.
Jaishankar also met with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright to discuss India’s ongoing energy transformation and explore broader avenues for partnership in oil, gas, and civil nuclear energy. The COMPACT's energy component aims to enhance security and reduce prices by boosting hydrocarbon production.
Bilateral discussions with Penny Wong and Iwaya Takeshi further highlighted India’s active role in strengthening regional cooperation within the Indo-Pacific.
