Jaishankar, Rubio stressed early bilateral trade deal: MEA

New Delhi

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently spoke over the phone and discussed a range of important global and regional issues. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the two leaders focused on developments in West Asia, the Indo-Pacific, and global geopolitics. A major highlight of their conversation was the need to speed up the conclusion of a bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States.

Following the conversation, Jaishankar posted on X, saying he and Rubio had exchanged views on the Indian subcontinent, Europe, Middle East, and Caribbean. He underlined their shared view that finalising the trade agreement soon was essential.

A statement from the US State Department confirmed that both leaders reaffirmed the strength of the US-India strategic partnership and discussed deepening ties in the Indo-Pacific region. They also spoke about US-imposed tariffs on India and the path toward a fair trade framework.

Speaking later at an event, Jaishankar said that India is actively engaging with the US to finalise a balanced trade deal by this fall. He pointed out that India has maintained a clear strategy from the beginning and remains committed to finding solutions through dialogue. He also noted that recent global trade tensions have accelerated discussions, and India has had more rounds of talks with the US in recent weeks than with the EU in years.