New Delhi. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India today. Here in Mumbai, Indian Foreign Minister S. He had a bilateral meeting with Jaishankar. Talking to journalists after this meeting, Rubio described India as the world's largest democracy and said that India is an important partner of America in matters of trade, defense and 'Quad'. Along with this, Rubio indicated to further strengthen relations with India and increase cooperation between the two countries.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
— IANS Hindi (@IANSKhabar) October 20, 2026
Rubio said, as far as the trade agreement between the US and India is concerned, the State Department does not negotiate trade agreements, but we are fully involved in whatever is happening. My counterpart, the National Security Advisor, and I are very interested in this. We have come very close to the agreement. I would say that we are very close to finalizing the agreement. I think only a few things are left, which will be completed soon. We hope that this will happen, and that some good news will come soon, after which the agreement will be signed. So, we are very optimistic that very soon we will have an agreement ready.
On India buying Russian oil, the US Secretary of State said, I think India has repeatedly expressed its desire to diversify its energy portfolio, which is a wise step. I think they've made pretty good progress in that direction, and we're glad to see that. But really, it's not just about Russian oil, but about India's desire to diversify, and we think we can also become a source to meet their energy needs. We've also discussed Venezuela and other countries, and I think it's in our best interest to have strong allies who have diverse energy portfolios.