New Delhi, Oct 21:
India and the US moved to expand energy and defence cooperation on Tuesday despite ongoing friction in their relations, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged New Delhi to scale up energy trade and increase the purchase of American technologies and systems.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hosted Rubio for wide-ranging talks shortly after the top diplomat arrived in Mumbai for his second visit to India in under five months, even as bilateral ties remain strained over Washington’s unpredictable trade policies and tightening immigration rules.
Ahead of his meeting with Jaishankar, Rubio told the media that the India-US trade deal is close to finalisation. He also described India as a crude oil refining “superpower” and advocated for processing more Venezuelan crude in India. The Secretary of State is scheduled to visit Reliance Industries Ltd-owned Jamnagar Refinery on Wednesday.
Rubio, answering a question on the trade pact, said that ” a small number of items” are left to be wrapped up and hoped that it will be sealed “shortly”.