External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly session, with discussions expected to centre on H-1B visa concerns and trade issues.

The meeting comes as an effort to rebuild ties after Donald Trump’s move to impose tariffs on Indian goods and raise H-1B visa application fees to $100,000.

New Delhi and Washington are working toward a trade agreement, with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal leading a delegation to Washington for negotiations.

Tensions had flared when President Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods in July during trade talks, followed by another 25 per cent levy linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil. Despite these setbacks, the two countries have resumed discussions on a Bilateral Investment Treaty aimed at restoring stability to their economic partnership.

According to a release from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, "positive discussions were held" during the September 16 visit of officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative to India.

The two leaders last met in Washington in July during the 10th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, following earlier talks in January.

Amid ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions, Trump has expressed confidence that the two sides will have "no difficulty" in reaching a deal.

The announcement of Trump’s order to raise H-1B visa application fees to $100,000 has unsettled thousands of skilled workers, many of them from India, who rely on the programme to work in the American technology sector.

However, the White House later clarified that the increase applies only to new applicants, not current visa holders.

During Senate hearings earlier this month for Sergio Gor, Trump’s nominee as US ambassador to India, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described India as "one of the top relationships that the US has in the world today."

Source: ANI