Marco Rubio Says India-US Ties Have 'Extraordinary Alignment' on Core Issues
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that India and the United States have an “extraordinary alignment” on the core issues that matter to both countries, while acknowledging that disagreements can occur on other matters.
Speaking at the Freedom 250 reception in Mumbai during his two-day visit to India, Rubio identified a “free and open” Indo-Pacific as one such core area. He said no nation should be able to claim dominance or ownership over international shipping.
“Of course there will be times and points of disagreement, but on the core issues that matter, the core issues that define the national interest of both India and the United States, the alignment between our countries is extraordinary, especially for two countries of this size,” Rubio said.
The US Secretary of State, who is on his second visit to India in three months, said the region would shape how the history of the 21st century is written. He added that he does not visit India as often as he should.
“I truly believe the relationship between the United States and India is defining in many ways, in a positive way, what the 21st century can look like,” he said.
Rubio described India as a “powerful, influential and advanced” country and a “strong geopolitical partner” for the United States. He said the two countries share values such as upholding the dignity of the individual, democratic principles and the rule of law.
“We can take the things that made America exceptional as a nation and share it in partnership with friends like you,” he said.
His remarks come against the backdrop of recent strains in India-US relations after years of growing warmth. Trade ties, India’s purchases of discounted Russian oil and immigration have emerged as challenging areas.
US President Donald Trump has argued that US exports to India attract much higher duties than Indian exports to the US, leading to tariff measures. His administration has also enacted a law allowing penal tariffs on countries importing Russian oil. On immigration, a series of measures have been attempted to help local jobseekers in the US.
Addressing an audience of business leaders and eminent people from different walks of life, Rubio said the administration was taking decisions with far-reaching consequences.
“The truth of the matter is that we are making decisions now in geopolitics and economics and trade and in commerce that will impact people that have not even been born, that will define the world in ways we cannot even fully comprehend or appreciate,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Rubio said India and the US were “very, very close” to signing a bilateral trade deal, with only a few points left to be ironed out. The proposed bilateral trade deal has been under discussion between the two countries.
Rubio landed in Mumbai on Tuesday afternoon. He is scheduled to visit Reliance Industries’ petrochemicals refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Wednesday. He is also scheduled to meet business leaders in Mumbai, including Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran and Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani.
