Rubio discusses trade, Venezuelan oil and global security (Img: IANS)
Mumbai: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Tuesday and expressed optimism about the India-US trade agreement. He said that the two sides were close to finalising the trade deal.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, he also discussed energy cooperation, India's purchases of Russian oil, the war in Ukraine and arms control.
Rubio is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his visit. He described India as a key strategic and commercial partner, highlighting defence cooperation and its role in the Quad.
Clarifying that the State Department was not directly responsible for negotiating trade agreements, Rubio said the two countries had made considerable progress and that only a few issues remained unresolved.
"As far as the trade agreement is concerned, the State Department doesn't negotiate trade agreements, but we are very much involved in what's happening. My counterpart, the National Security Advisor, and I care a lot about it. We're very, very close. I would say we're about as close as you can be without having executed the agreement. I think there's a small number of items left to wrap up, so I think that will happen shortly. We're hoping, which it should, and hopefully have some good news to announce soon and sign it thereafter. So, we're very optimistic that we will have something in place here very soon."
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Rubio also said the US delegation would discuss oil production in Venezuela with Reliance Industries. He said India had made "substantial progress" in diversifying its oil purchases.
Asked how India could help meet global energy demand, Rubio pointed to the country's extensive refining capacity and its experience in processing heavy crude.
"India is a refining superpower. They have the capability to refine heavy crude. They've done so in the past, and I think as more and more Venezuelan oil comes online, it's something they can do. They also, by the way, have pre-existing oil concessions in Venezuela that can produce more themselves."
He said Venezuelan oil could help ease supply pressures over time, although it would not be enough on its own to offset all potential disruptions in global markets.
"So, all these are positive things. I'm not claiming to you that Venezuela alone can fill the hole that could be caused by some of the things that are happening around the world, but I think over time, it most certainly can, and in the short term, it can certainly help. So, that's one of the things we'll talk about. With India, we've talked about it in the past, and they sound ready. They're willing to do it. There might be a few impediments that stand in the way in terms of sanctions and so forth that we'll have to work through," he added.
Rubio underlined the importance of regular high-level engagement between the two countries, noting that Jaishankar had visited the United States four times this year.
"First of all, I will point out that the Foreign Minister of India has been to the United States four times this year. This is the most populous country in the world. It's the largest democracy in the world. It's an important commercial partner and business partner of the United States. We also do a lot of defense cooperation. They're a key member of the Quad. They're a strong strategic partner. I actually don't think we've come enough, and I think we need to have more of them."
His remarks highlighted Washington's emphasis on strengthening its strategic, commercial and defence ties with New Delhi.
Rubio also addressed the war in Ukraine, saying nothing was being deliberately withheld from Kyiv. His comments came amid reports that the Trump administration had not approved the transfer of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine from countries that had already purchased the US-made weapons.
He also said President Donald Trump was "frustrated" by accusations that he was harming Ukraine.
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On arms control, Rubio said discussions involving the United States, China and Russia would be a positive development for the international community.
His comments reflected Washington's interest in engaging the two major powers on arms control, alongside its efforts to manage wider geopolitical challenges.
