Secretary of State Marco Rubio And Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar At the Signing of a Critical Minerals Framework

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER JAISHANKAR: Well, Secretary, colleagues, we are today signing a bilateral India-U.S. framework on securing of supply, of mining and processing of critical minerals and rare-earths. This is something which we have also discussed today at the Quad meeting. And whether we're doing it bilaterally, whether we're doing it as a Quad format, or in fact as a larger gathering of like-minded nations, it is clearly something very timely, something very important, something very critical.

This particular framework aims to deepen our cooperation across the entire critical minerals and rare-earth supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling, and related investments. It will certainly strengthen resilient and diversified supply chains. It will help us to collaborate in financing and in the effective management of critical minerals and rare-earths (inaudible). So I think it's a very important initiative. I'm very glad, Secretary, that you're involved with it, we could finalize it and sign it. It's one more sign of how close our cooperation is and how important it is today in a world where there are so many challenges but also so many opportunities. Thank you.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, thank you. I've spoken often during my time here over the last few days about the strategic alliance between the United States and India and how important that is for our national interest in the United States, and today is a tangible example of it. We are two countries who have a strategic interest in ensuring reliable long-term access to critical minerals and supply chains that are important for our innovation economy. And today's a tangible result of that; it's tangible evidence of why it is we are strategic allies. This is a very important step.

Actually, I think the groundwork was laid for this on the 4th of February when we launched the forum and - that you joined us - the critical minerals forum that we hosted in Washington, D.C. It gained momentum later that month when India signed onto Pax Silica. It was one of the first and early member and signatories, and now today, because we both have a strategic and shared interest in the fact that vibrant innovation economies such as ours cannot afford to leave the foundational materials of these industries vulnerable to single-source monopolies that could deny us these things - not just in a time of conflict but as a leverage point contrary to our sovereign national interests.

So it's a pleasure to be here today, and I'm glad we were able to sign this because, in addition to being an important document and an important agreement, I think it brings a tangible example of the strategic partnership between the United States and India. Thank you.

MODERATOR: We now request both the leaders to please sign the document.

(The document was signed.)

MODERATOR: We now request both the leaders to please stand and exchange the document. (Applause.)

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