U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dials External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on trade talks
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In a major development towards the India-U.S. trade deal, U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on the ongoing trade negotiations and strengthening economic co-operation.
The move comes in the wake of Sergio Gor expressing commitment to the deal on Monday, while taking over as the U.S. ambassador to India.
Rubio, Jaishankar discuss economic cooperation
“Secretary Rubio spoke today with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, exchanging best wishes for the New Year. Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar discussed ongoing bilateral trade agreement negotiations and their shared interest in strengthening economic cooperation. They also exchanged perspectives on regional developments, reaffirming the United States’ and India’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said the U.S. department of state in a release.
“The Secretary congratulated India on enacting the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India bill. He expressed interest in capitalizing on this important development to enhance U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation, expand opportunities for American companies, advance shared energy security goals, and secure critical mineral supply chains,” the release said.
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U.S.- India trade negotiations on
It may be noted that on Monday, Gor said India and the US remain actively engaged on the long-awaited trade agreement. “Both sides continue to actively engage. In fact, the next call on trade will occur tomorrow. Remember, it is the world's largest nation; So it's not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there,” Gor said in his first address after assuming charge as the new US ambassador in New Delhi on Monday.
Gor’s statement came as an indication that all may be well between the ongoing negotiations as last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard claimed that a major trade deal between India and the United States could not proceed because Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to personally call President Donald Trump to "close" the agreement. Later, ministry of external affairs said the statement was factually incorrect.
It may also be noted that while taking charge Gor had also indicated that the US and India will hold another round of trade negotiations on Tuesday. Also, he indicated that Washington is keen on drawing New Delhi into Pax Silica, a US-led strategic alliance aimed at countering China’s dominance in semiconductors, critical minerals and AI infrastructure.