MEA denies claims of White House rejecting Jaishankar's bid to meet Trump

The rebuttal from Ministry of External Affairs came in response to a post on social media platform X alleging that Trump declined to meet Jaishankar due to scheduling constraints

India on Friday dismissed reports indicating that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s request to meet US President Donald Trump was denied by the White House, calling the allegation “fake news”.

 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Fact Check unit, in a post on social media platform X, stated: “CLAIM: White House denies Indian FM Jaishankar’s request to meet Donald Trump due to busy schedule. This is FAKE news. This CLAIM is false.” The rebuttal came in response to a post on X alleging that Trump declined to meet Jaishankar due to scheduling constraints.

 

MEA issues clarification after Jaishankar’s US visit

 

The clarification follows Jaishankar’s official visit to the United States from June 30 to July 2, at the invitation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During the visit, the External Affairs Minister participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting alongside counterparts from the US, Japan, and Australia. 

 

 

The four nations discussed a range of regional and global issues, including counterterrorism and reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the Quad nations also condemned the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, which claimed the 26 lives. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi at the Quad foreign ministers meet in Washington, DC. ( Image posted on X by @eAsiaMediaHub)

 

Bilateral engagement with top US officials

 

During his visit to the US, Jaishankar held a series of high-level meetings with key American officials, underscoring the growing strategic ties between the two nations.

 

On Wednesday (local time), Jaishankar met FBI Director Kash Patel in Washington, DC, where he expressed appreciation for the cooperation between India and the US in countering organised crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism. 

 

In a separate meeting with US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Jaishankar said they had a “good exchange” on the global strategic environment and avenues for strengthening bilateral cooperation.

 

He also met US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and discussed the energy transformation currently underway in India. The two sides explored opportunities to deepen the Indo-US energy partnership.

 

Jaishankar also met US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, with whom he held wide-ranging discussions on enhancing the defence partnership, building on shared interests, capabilities, and responsibilities.