External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, holding talks on strengthening India-US relations and addressing key regional and global developments.

“Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.

The meeting comes as India and the US move closer to finalising the first phase of a bilateral trade deal, with five rounds of negotiations already completed and officials indicating that the agreement is “very near” conclusion.

On Sunday, Jaishankar also held discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and Thai Foreign Minister

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