ISLAMABAD

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Monday with Ishaq Dar and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, his Pakistani and Indian counterparts, and discussed the trade relationship and President Donald Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs, among other issues.

It is rare for a top US diplomat to hold phone calls with his Pakistani and Indian counterparts on the same day.

State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce said Rubio thanked Dar for the arrest and transfer of ISIS-K terrorist Mohammad Sharifullah to the US, and they discussed tariffs and how to make progress toward a "fair and balanced trade relationship."

The Trump administration imposed a 29% tariff on Pakistan and 26% on India last week, as the president announced sweeping tariffs on several countries, roiling global markets.

The US president says he’s willing to reach “fair deals,” and that numerous countries have reached out to negotiate.

Rubio also "raised prospects for engagement on critical minerals and expressed interest in expanding commercial opportunities for US companies."

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Dar also highlighted Islamabad's "efforts in successfully fighting" terrorism in 2013-18, which caused Pakistan "huge economic and human losses."

The two top diplomats also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and Rubio "agreed on the need to resolve the issue of US Military equipment left behind in Afghanistan," it added.

Meanwhile, Rubio and Jaishankar spoke on trade and tariffs, "affirmed the strength of the U.S.-India strategic partnership and discussed opportunities to deepen collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region."

Jaishankar, for his part, said they also exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, the Indian Sub-continent, Europe, the Middle East, West Asia, and the Caribbean.

"Agreed on the importance of the early conclusion of the Bilateral Trade Agreement," he said on X.