• Jaishankar dismisses possibility of trade with Pakistan
• Diplomats trying to arrange Modi-Trump meeting

WASHINGTON: Following the inauguration of Donald Trump, India has flexed its muscle in the US, with its foreign minister being among the first to meet the newly-minted secretary of state, and efforts already underway to arrange a meeting between the new US president and Narendra Modi.

Indian Foreign Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, whose meeting with Marco Rubio marked the latter’s first bilateral engagement after taking office, also held a press conference, where he dismissed the possibility of resuming trade with Pakistan any time soon.

Rubio’s tenure began with a clear focus on countering China’s expanding influence, underscoring the US reliance on India as a strategic counterbalance in the Asia-Pacific region.

On his first day in office, Rubio’s multilateral meetings prioritised the Quad nations — India, Japan, and Australia. US media outlets interpreted these moves as a signal that Rubio’s foreign policy agenda aims to elevate India’s role as a pivotal US partner in the Asia-Pacific.

Analysts predict this shift will carry significant implications for US relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Trump-Modi meeting

Meanwhile, Indian and US diplomats are trying to arrange a February meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Washington, Reuters reported.

Although it’s not certain the leaders will meet in February, sources told Reuters a bilateral meeting was possible later in the year, including when leaders of the Quad grouping meet at an annual summit, to be hosted by India.

As a senator, Rubio had championed legislative measures to designate India as a key US ally, comparable to Japan, Israel, and Nato countries, particularly in the context of technology transfers.

However, Rubio’s pivot toward India has raised concerns for Pakistan.

Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Wilson Centre in Washington, observed, “The next White House will likely accord relatively little priority to relations with Pakistan, though it may increase pressure on Islamabad to ease up on its alliance with Beijing”.

Trade with Pakistan

While fielding questions from reporters at the Indian embassy in Washington, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said that there had been no talks on trade between his country and Pakistan, nor had there been any proposals to resume the flow of commerce, Dawn.com reported.

In response to a question about trade with Pakistan, Jaishankar said: “After last year, there have been no talks with Pakistan about trade, nor has any initiative come forward from their side.”

He further claimed about the situation between the neighbours: “We never stopped trade. Any steps taken to stop trade with India were taken from their side in 2019.

“Our concern from the beginning was that they never granted us (Most Favoured Nation) status, even though we granted it to them,” he said.

Last August, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had said trade with India was not on the cards, citing the unchanged situation in Indian-held Kashmir since the events of 2019.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2025