Kochi: The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday underscored the strong ties between India and Washington.
Rubio expressed high hopes on sealing the bilateral trade deal “soon”, while addressing a joint media briefing with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the second day of his visit to India, The Hindu quoting agencies reported.
Rubio arrived on Saturday on his first official visit to India ahead of a meeting with his counterparts from India, Australia and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance
on Tuesday.
Rubio argued that the Trump administration’s policy on trade is driven by a greater aim to recalibrate Washington’s overall approach on global trade.
A US trade delegation will visit India “very soon” to take forward the talks on the proposed trade deal.
Jaishankar said India wanted peace and stability in the Middle East as it had strong relations and real interests in the region.
On questions over racist remarks against Indian Americans in the United States, Rubio said, “I’ll take that very seriously about the comments.
Rubio addressed the concerns regarding adjustments to the American visa system, clarifying that current changes are part of a global “modernisation” effort rather than measures targeted specifically at India.
Photo: X
