Marco Rubio said India and the US were close to concluding a trade agreement.
He said only a small number of issues remained to be resolved.
His remarks followed US waivers on sanctions linked to Russian energy purchases.
India and the United States are “very, very close” to concluding a trade agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday, adding that only a few issues remained unresolved.
Rubio, on his second official visit to India, said he expected the agreement to be finalised shortly.
“The State Department doesn't negotiate trade agreements, but we are very much involved in what's happening...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,” he said.
“So, we're very optimistic that we will have something in place here very soon,” Rubio added.
Trade Talks Amid Russian Energy Policy Shift
His comments followed Washington’s decision to waive some sanctions linked to Russia shortly before they were due to take effect. The measures would have targeted India, China and three other countries with tariffs of up to 100%.
Before the waiver, President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel to ease the impact of rising fuel prices in the US.
The decisions marked a shift from the administration’s earlier opposition to Russian energy purchases. Washington had cited India’s imports of Russian oil when imposing tariffs totalling 50% on Indian goods last year. Those duties were subsequently reduced to 18% as trade negotiations progressed.
Rubio said on Monday that efforts to conclude an agreement with India were among the considerations behind decisions on national security waivers.
'Smart Thing To Do To Diversify Energy Sources', Says Rubio
Asked in Mumbai about India’s purchases of Russian oil, Rubio welcomed its efforts to broaden its energy sources, describing diversification as a “smart thing to do”.
“I think what India has expressed repeatedly is its desire to diversify its energy portfolio, which is a smart thing to do. It's not easy to do that from one day to the next. I think they've made some substantial progress in that regard, and we're happy to see that,” he said.
During the visit, Rubio also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for discussions on regional energy security.
