New Delhi, Sept. 23 -- Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, on Monday stressed the importance of Washington's partnership with New Delhi while meeting Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. He also two countries would "continue working together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad."

The US and India ties have been strained by trade frictions, but had looked to be picking up again until Trump's visa announcement on Friday - a move that has hit Indian technology companies hard.

"Secretary Rubio, reiterating that India is a relationship of critical importance to the United States, expressed his appreciation for the Indian government's con...