New Delhi: US President Donald Trump may visit India early next year ahead of the final negotiations for the US-India trade deal, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
“We’re working towards sometime early next year to have the President come,” Rubio told IANS, adding that he is expected to visit India later this year to prepare for the Trump visit.
Rubio further said that negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement were in their final stages. “We’re on the last inches of getting it done, and it’s very positive,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in France last week, where Trump described their conversation as “very good”.
India-US relationship has faced strains over the past year after Washington’s steep tariffs on Indian exports over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, while closer US engagement with Pakistan has also complicated ties.
In a separate interview to IANS, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor echoed similar sentiments, saying that the trade deal will be signed over the “next few months”. He added that negotiations had progressed at an unusually quick pace compared to other major trade agreements. “A lot of it is the language that has to be written,” Gor said.
“There’s a handful of issues that remain. We’re confident that over the next few weeks, over the next few months, it’ll get done,” Gor added.
“Look, to put it in perspective, we’ve been working on this deal for a year-and-a-half,” he then said. “The European Union deal, which is still not done, is 20 years. Everybody says, ‘Why is this taking so long?’ We’re on an incredible trajectory of getting it done.”
Echoing Rubio, Gor mentioned that Trump is keen to visit India. “One of the things the President asked about is, ‘So when am I coming?’ He’s very keen to come. The Prime Minister invited him. I think that’ll happen at some point,” he said.
In the interview, Rubio also outlined a broader vision for expanding the US-India cooperation, particularly in energy security, arguing that the United States could play a larger role in meeting India’s rapidly growing energy needs. “India’s been focused for a very long time on diversifying its sources of energy, and we certainly would love to be a part of that,” Rubio said. “We think we have some solutions in that regard.”
He linked the US’ diplomatic efforts in West Asia to global energy security, saying Trump had sought to reduce regional tensions in part to increase fuel supplies for US allies.
Trump in March this year had led a military aggression with Israel against Iran. However, both countries are now in negotiations over a potential peace deal.
Rubio argued that India’s long-term energy security would depend on maintaining a diverse portfolio of suppliers. He then identified Venezuela as a potential future source of crude, saying Washington was working to help expand the country’s production capacity.
“I know India’s been talking to not just the United States, but Venezuela. We’re working very closely to increase their production capacity,” Rubio said, adding that Washington would be prepared to facilitate such cooperation.
Beyond energy, Rubio said the two countries shared strategic interests across a wide range of sectors, including supply chains, critical minerals, maritime security and freedom of navigation. “These are the largest democracies in the world and the oldest democracies in the world,” Rubio said. “We’re aligned on so many things that we can build and work on together — economics, supply chains, critical minerals, energy, security and freedom of navigation.”
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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