Rubio and Jaishankar discuss trade, defence, technology and energy security during talks in Mumbai as both sides seek an early agreement…reports Asian Lite News
India and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to an early conclusion of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), welcoming progress in negotiations during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Mumbai, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
The two sides reviewed the full range of bilateral relations and discussed ways to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, with trade, defence, technology and energy security among the key areas of discussion.
“Both sides had a detailed exchange of views on a wide range of areas, including trade, defence, technology and energy security. They welcomed the progress made in negotiations on the India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and reaffirmed their commitment to working towards its early conclusion,” the MEA said in a statement.
Rubio is visiting India from October 20 to 21 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The visit is his second to India, following his trip to New Delhi in May.
Jaishankar held talks with Rubio in Mumbai on Tuesday, with the discussions focusing on further advancing bilateral cooperation. The ministers also exchanged views on regional developments.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and other officials attended the meeting.
Following the talks, Jaishankar said in a post on X that the discussions covered trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people ties, alongside regional developments.
Rubio also confirmed that energy security and defence cooperation featured prominently in the discussions.
“In Mumbai, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and I discussed energy security and defence cooperation while reaffirming the importance of advancing the US-India strategic partnership,” he said in a post on X.
During the visit, Jaishankar also attended a ‘Freedom 250’ reception hosted by US Ambassador Sergio Gor, where he was the chief guest.
The MEA said Rubio’s visit reflected sustained momentum in high-level exchanges between the two countries and highlighted their shared focus on advancing the India-US COMPACT for the 21st century.
The renewed commitment to concluding the trade agreement comes amid broader efforts by New Delhi and Washington to deepen economic and strategic cooperation. However, the MEA statement did not provide a timeline for completing negotiations or disclose details of the outstanding issues.
Both governments have continued discussions on strengthening trade ties while expanding cooperation across defence, technology and energy security.
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