External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about enhancing trade, nuclear energy, and defence cooperation. They reaffirmed their commitment to a free Indo-Pacific region.
India
-Krishna Kripa
External
Affairs
Minister
S
Jaishankar
recently
engaged
in
a
phone
conversation
with
US
Secretary
of
State
Marco
Rubio.
Their
discussion
centred
on
collaboration
in
trade,
critical
minerals,
nuclear
energy,
and
defence.
This
dialogue
followed
the
announcement
by
newly-appointed
US
ambassador
Sergio
Gor
about
upcoming
interactions
on
trade
issues
between
the
two
nations.
image
External
Affairs
Minister
S
Jaishankar
spoke
with
US
Secretary
of
State
Marco
Rubio
about
enhancing
trade,
nuclear
energy,
and
defence
cooperation.
They
reaffirmed
their
commitment
to
a
free
Indo-Pacific
region.
The
conversation
between
Jaishankar
and
Rubio
occurred
as
President
Donald
Trump
declared
a
25
per
cent
tariff
on
countries
trading
with
Iran.
Indian
government
sources
indicated
this
tariff
would
have
minimal
impact
on
India,
given
that
trade
with
Iran
is
less
than
USD
2
billion.
Last
year,
India’s
trade
with
Iran
was
valued
at
USD
1.6
billion,
making
up
only
0.15
per
cent
of
India’s
total
trade.
Trade
and
Economic
Cooperation
During
their
call,
Jaishankar
and
Rubio
agreed
to
maintain
communication
on
various
matters.
Jaishankar
shared
on
social
media
that
they
discussed
trade,
critical
minerals,
nuclear
cooperation,
defence,
and
energy.
An
American
readout
highlighted
ongoing
bilateral
trade
agreement
negotiations
and
both
countries’
interest
in
enhancing
economic
cooperation.
Rubio
congratulated
India
for
passing
the
sustainable
harnessing
and
advancement
of
nuclear
energy
for
transforming
India
bill.
He
expressed
a
desire
to
leverage
this
development
to
boost
US-India
civil
nuclear
cooperation
and
create
more
opportunities
for
American
companies.
Regional
Developments
and
Strategic
Partnerships
The
two
leaders
also
exchanged
views
on
regional
developments,
reaffirming
their
commitment
to
a
free
and
open
Indo-Pacific
region.
Meanwhile,
Gor
emphasised
India’s
significance
to
the
United
States
during
his
address
at
the
US
embassy.
He
stated
that
no
partner
is
more
essential
than
India
and
expressed
his
ambition
to
pursue
an
ambitious
agenda
as
ambassador.
India-US
relations
faced
challenges
after
President
Trump
imposed
a
50
per
cent
tariff
on
Indian
goods,
including
a
25
per
cent
levy
related
to
Russian
oil
purchases.
Despite
multiple
negotiation
rounds
last
year
aimed
at
finalising
a
bilateral
trade
deal,
it
remains
unresolved
due
to
Washington’s
demands
for
India
to
open
its
farm
and
dairy
sectors.
Future
Engagements
Gor
mentioned
that
both
nations
are
actively
engaging
in
discussions
about
the
proposed
trade
deal.
He
noted
that
another
call
regarding
trade
would
take
place
soon.
The
ongoing
dialogue
highlights
the
strategic
partnership
between
India
and
the
United
States
as
they
work
towards
strengthening
ties
across
various
sectors.
The
conversation
between
Jaishankar
and
Rubio
underscores
the
importance
of
continued
collaboration
between
India
and
the
United
States.
Both
countries
aim
to
enhance
their
economic
ties
while
addressing
regional
challenges
together.
With
inputs
from
PTI
