September 23, 2025

The world's spotlight is on New York during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2023, and guess who’s stirring up action? India’s External Affairs Minister, Jaishankar, is all set for a power-packed meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio! They will meet at 8:30 pm IST on September 22 to chat about some hot-button issues – mainly trade talks and the recent hike in H-1B visa fees by the Trump administration. This will be their very first face-to-face meeting after President Donald Trump slapped an additional 25% tariff on India’s Russian oil purchases. With this move, the total tariffs imposed by the Trump White House on India have now soared to a staggering 50%! That’s definitely a spicy conversation waiting to happen. The 2023 UNGA is no ordinary session. Alongside important global gatherings like the UN’s 80th anniversary celebrations, a Climate Ambition Summit led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and a high-level meet marking 30 years of the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights, Jaishankar is juggling multiple meetings. He arrived in New York on Sunday and kicked off his UNGA engagements with a bilateral chat with the Philippines' Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Theresa P. Lazaro. Meanwhile, Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal isn’t far behind! He leads a delegation that will meet US officials on Monday, aiming to speed up progress on a trade agreement that benefits both countries. The Commerce Ministry confirmed that ‘‘positive discussions’’ happened during a recent visit by US trade officials to India on September 16, and both sides want to intensify efforts. Jaishankar has a busy schedule ahead with several bilateral and multilateral meetings. Not to be missed, he is delivering India’s national statement at the General Debate on September 27, standing tall on the iconic green UNGA podium – a moment brimming with pride and importance. With global eyes on New York, India’s leadership is turning up the heat on diplomacy and trade, hoping to turn challenges into opportunities. Can these talks cool down the tariff tensions and open doors for better US-India relations? Stay tuned!

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Tags: Unga 2023, Jaishankar, Marco rubio, Us-india trade, H-1b visa fees, Tariffs on india,