New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said India and the United States are “weeks, not months” away from finalising a bilateral trade agreement, asserting that nearly 99% of the work has been completed, even as both sides continue to resolve differences over the wording of the proposed deal.
In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express during his visit to India, Rubio described bilateral relations as positive and an important feature of Washington’s foreign policy, while acknowledging that trade-related differences have remained a source of friction between the two countries.
He declined to disclose the specific sticking points but said the remaining differences largely concerned the interpretation of certain words and phrases, stressing that both governments needed to be fully aligned on the agreement’s meaning.
Rubio’s remarks come amid prolonged negotiations over the proposed trade pact, with economic ties affected by tariff-related tensions and differences over India’s purchases of Russian oil.
On the issue of Russian oil, Rubio said US tariffs were not intended to punish or harm India, describing them as part of the broader American strategy to pressure Russia and bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
He acknowledged that such measures could strain economic relations and said Washington had to balance its efforts to influence the course of the conflict with the need to protect important partnerships.
Rubio noted that US President Donald Trump had faced criticism domestically after issuing waivers and not imposing tariffs required under a law passed by Congress, but said the decision reflected an understanding of the potential damage such measures could inflict on US-India relations.
The US Secretary of State also defended the Trump administration’s approach towards China, rejecting suggestions that Washington had softened its position towards Beijing.
He said the United States sought strategic stability with China while continuing to challenge actions it considered contrary to American interests through measures such as export controls.
Rubio cautioned that a US-China trade war or a broader conflict between the two major powers would have devastating consequences for the global economy, affecting India and virtually every other country.
On concerns in India over Washington’s growing engagement with Pakistan, Rubio said relations with Islamabad would never come at the expense of ties with New Delhi.
“Number two, I would say that our relationship with no country in the world, in any way, comes at the expense of our relationship with India,” he said.
Describing Pakistan as a country with which the United States needed to maintain relations, Rubio said Washington could potentially use its influence to discourage actions that might lead to conflict. He also rejected comparisons between the current US administration’s Pakistan policy and the Nixon-Kissinger era, arguing that the global strategic environment had changed considerably since the 1970s.
On immigration and visa restrictions, Rubio said the administration’s efforts to tighten enforcement were not specifically directed at India but were part of a broader attempt to reform the American immigration system.
He said the United States continued to welcome international students, visitors, investors and workers, but insisted that immigration had to take place within a system of laws.
Rubio acknowledged that Indians were among the largest applicants in certain visa categories because of the strong economic and educational links between the two countries. However, he maintained that the measures were aimed at addressing what Washington viewed as wider systemic problems.
During his visit, Rubio is also scheduled to travel to Jamnagar in Gujarat, where energy cooperation and investment opportunities involving Reliance Industries are on the agenda.
He said India’s substantial refining capacity could play an important role in diversifying global energy supplies, particularly in processing Venezuelan heavy crude oil. Rubio also highlighted Indian investments in the United States, including Reliance’s refinery-related expansion, as an opportunity to strengthen energy cooperation.
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Rubio welcomed India’s diplomatic efforts to facilitate a ceasefire, saying New Delhi had played a constructive role in attempting to bring the parties together.
He said he had reviewed a proposal prepared by the Indian side and praised the country’s diplomatic corps for its efforts, while acknowledging that negotiations remained difficult because military operations in the Black Sea continued to hold strategic value for the combatants.
Rubio’s visit comes at a crucial juncture in India-US relations, with both countries seeking to advance trade negotiations, deepen energy cooperation and sustain strategic coordination through platforms such as the Quad, which also includes Australia and Japan.
