External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday (local time) on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta. In a post on X, Jaishankar appreciated the hospitality of the US Secretary of State and said the meeting led to taking stock of the bilateral cooperation between India and the US.

strategic priorities in the region
He said, "Appreciated @SecRubio’s hospitality in Atlanta for the @g20org FMM. Took stock of our bilateral cooperation." The meeting between the counterparts came after Marco Rubio earlier concluded his India visit from October 20-21. On his departure, Marco Rubio said that the result of the visit was the advancement of India-US "economic and strategic priorities in the region."

flagged attacks affecting civilian shipping
Meanwhile, India asserted that military solutions cannot resolve global challenges and that diplomacy must be allowed to settle such matters. Speaking during the first plenary session of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also flagged attacks affecting civilian shipping and seafarers, underscoring the vital requirement to uphold freedom of navigation and halt assaults under international legal frameworks, particularly UNCLOS.

market access and artificial distortions
"Emphasised that in the face of global challenges, military solutions will not work and diplomacy must be given a chance," Jaishankar stated via X, outlining key points delivered during the sessions hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Jaishankar's remarks unfolded amid ongoing conflicts across various regions, encompassing the Russia-Ukraine war and mounting tensions in West Asia. Furthermore, Jaishankar pointed out that developing economies are being deprived of their right to industrialise through market flooding, the weaponisation of supply chains, constricted market access and artificial distortions.

assaults on civilian shipping and seafarers
"This must cease," he stated, while highlighting the necessity of establishing resilient, alternative connectivity networks as international markets undergo de-risking and diversification. "Tactical calculations should not lead to overlooking the dangers of terrorism. It is a high-risk activity which has come back to bite even the practitioners," he cautioned. Highlighting regional vulnerabilities, Jaishankar noted that the Global South bears an unfair share of the fallout from assaults on civilian shipping and seafarers, which severely jeopardises the affordability and availability of fuel, food and agricultural nutrients.

numerous nations ahead of the formal proceedings
Statistics indicate that at least 22 Indian nationals, comprising 14 seafarers, have lost their lives since the war began in West Asia in February this year. Having arrived in Atlanta on Thursday evening, Jaishankar interacted with his counterparts from numerous nations ahead of the formal proceedings. Opening the two-day deliberations, Rubio cautioned delegates that the international community faces a decisive moment amid escalating economic and geopolitical turbulence.