EAM Jaishankar to visit Washington in Feb for critical minerals supply chain meet

India’s External Affairs Minister
S Jaishankar has received an invitation to visit Washington, DC, in early February for a two-day meeting focused on critical minerals. The meeting, expected on February 4-5, is being organised by the United States and brings together partners from around the world to discuss securing and strengthening global supply chains for essential minerals.

The “critical minerals” agenda has grown in importance as countries race to secure reliable sources of materials like lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements, all vital for technologies ranging from electric vehicles to renewable energy and defence systems.

India, already part of the Minerals Security Partnership, was also invited this month to join a new US initiative called Pax Silica, which aims to streamline multinational efforts in this space.

Talking supply chains and strategic cooperation

The upcoming meeting could help iron out bureaucratic overlap between different US-led efforts. For example, the newly announced Pax Silica and the existing Biden-era Minerals Security Partnership share similar goals around economic security, but that has led to confusion among international partners, including India.

Streamlining these platforms could improve cooperation and clarity on how critical materials are sourced and moved across borders.

Although details about Jaishankar’s exact itinerary and whether he will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have not been confirmed, people familiar with the planning say those discussions are possible if the visit goes ahead. In response to questions from Hindustan Times, the US State Department said it did not have details to share on Jaishankar’s visit or a potential meeting with Rubio.

US framing the critical minerals agenda

The White House has emphasised the strategic importance of these talks. “On February 4, Secretary Rubio will welcome partners from across the globe to the State Department for the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial,” the State Department said in a post on X.

“Strengthening critical mineral supply chains with our international partners is vital to America’s economic and national security, technological leadership, and a resilient energy future,” it added.

Jaishankar’s potential visit comes on the heels of other international engagements on critical minerals, including participation by India’s Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at a recent multinational meeting in Washington to discuss supply-chain resilience amid concerns about China’s dominance in processing and production.