00:00Joining us now on this global exclusive interview on the eve of U.S. Secretary Barco Rubio's maiden visit to
00:09India is Ambassador Gaur.
00:11Ambassador Gaur, thank you so much for making time for us and doing it on such a short notice.
00:16It's truly global because I'm somewhere else in part of the world.
00:19You are in New Delhi, Secretary Rubio is somewhere else, all converging to be meeting in New Delhi tomorrow.
00:24Can you tell us, you know, what is the significance of this visit?
00:28Because there's a lot being said about it. What can we expect from this visit?
00:32Well, Rahid, it's good to talk to you tonight and it's good to see you.
00:35I know you're on the way back to India, so we look forward to seeing you in person tomorrow.
00:40Look, the significance of this visit is that the United States cares about the relationship with India.
00:45And so you have the Secretary of State, who's also the National Security Advisor, who's coming to India for four
00:50days, which is quite unusual.
00:52When the Secretary travels, it's usually for one night, maybe two.
00:56He has yet to go to one place for four days.
00:59So when the Secretary visits here, he'll be going to Delhi, he'll be going to Kolkata, he'll be going to
01:03Agra, he'll be going to Jaipur.
01:05The significance is a lot.
01:07It's A, the relationship between our two countries.
01:09It's also a quad meeting.
01:11So we expect some big things to come out over the next few days.
01:16You know, you rightly said it, it's unusual.
01:19You know, he's beginning in Kolkata, you know, comes back to Delhi, does the bilateral, then does the Jaipur, Agra,
01:24comes back, does the quad.
01:26I mean, massive, massive, you know, four-day event.
01:30Just tell us, you know, what could be some tangible outcomes that we could be looking out for?
01:34I mean, there's the cultural aspect of it.
01:36There is the bilateral aspect of it.
01:38There's also the quad.
01:39I mean, any tangible outcomes that we could be looking at?
01:42I don't want to preempt the announcements, but there will be some announcements that relate to our bilateral relationship, but
01:49also some quad announcements.
01:50So as partners in the quad, we will have some deliverables that all four sides are very excited about.
01:57And so that will come out over the next few days.
01:59Individually, between the United States and India, this is something that we've been building on over the last few months.
02:05I've been here now almost five months.
02:07The Secretary has engaged with Dr. Jay Shankar on a very regular basis.
02:11They have met multiple times, both in the United States, on the sideline, at other events.
02:17So this is a continuation of that.
02:19But we do expect to see some results of that.
02:21Talk is good, but action is even better.
02:23And so since I have arrived in India, we have seen that on a monthly basis.
02:27In my first month, we worked on closing the trade deal, which is now in the final stages of getting
02:31signed.
02:32But for all intents and purposes, the trade deal is done.
02:36The legal language is what is being worked out on.
02:39The next month, India was added into Pax Silica, one of the first 10 nations in the world that was
02:44added.
02:45The reason India was added is because it's a trusted partner to us.
02:48And so we've continued to build upon that.
02:51The Secretary coming here is as big as it gets outside of the president.
02:54So we're beyond excited to have him here.
02:59Ambassador, it is very interesting that you said that because Secretary Rubio, even when he was a scientist, he wanted
03:06America to get closer to India.
03:09As you rightly said, he's an NSA and a Secretary of State.
03:12You know, what message is he carrying from the president of the United States?
03:16Because as you said, I mean, you know, he is the biggest person after the president when it comes to
03:20the bilateral relationship.
03:21Any message you think, you know, he's carrying from President Trump or India?
03:25Look, I think the message is that we want to work even closer with India.
03:29The president, as you know, as I've often said, holds the prime minister in very high regard.
03:32And the message will be clear.
03:34The United States and India are natural partners.
03:37And that's something we hope to build upon.
03:39I spoke to the president two days ago, just before the secretary left for Europe.
03:43He's in Europe tonight and gets into India tomorrow.
03:46And the president was very clear on what he wants to see happen and what he wants to see come
03:51out of this trip.
03:52And that is our two sides working along hand in hand and identifying those win-win situations for both of
03:59our countries.
04:00This is Secretary Rubio's first visit to India.
04:02So it's an incredible thing.
04:04Any one of those things that you mentioned would be worth the trip, a quad meeting, the bilateral meetings,
04:09but also the fact that he's able to experience the incredible culture and history and, frankly, the warmth of the
04:16people.
04:17And Delhi's great, but it's also good that he's getting out of Delhi.
04:20Too many times visitors come to India for a few hours, they have a meeting in Delhi, and they depart.
04:25To me, that's not the full picture.
04:29That's rightly said.
04:30And before I let you go, sir, one last question.
04:33You know, Secretary Rubio, when he was boarding the plane from the U.S., he talked about how India is
04:38an ally and a partner.
04:39You know, he talked about America first.
04:41And he said that doesn't mean, you know, America alone.
04:43Is this a relationship where you think it's America first and taking India forward?
04:48I think I think, as the secretary said, the two are not mutually exclusive.
04:51America first is not America alone.
04:53And so we do have identified partners that we do trust.
04:57There's a reason the quad is only four people.
04:59Two of them are some of our biggest allies, right?
05:01Japan and Australia.
05:02And so to have India in that group, in that mix, it's not by coincidence.
05:09And so I do think there's a lot that we can build upon.
05:13India and the prime minister have a friend in the Oval Office.
05:16It comes down to that.
05:17And so it is my job to bring those opportunities and identify those win-win situations, both for America and
05:24things that also the Indian side would appreciate.
05:29All right, Mazar.
05:30Thank you so much.
05:31You know, I know you have a busy schedule.
05:32We look forward to seeing you more in the next few days.
05:35And we'll keep, you know, chatting with you as the trip progresses.
05:38Thank you so much.
05:39We'll see you tomorrow, Rohit.
05:40Safe travels.
05:41Thank you, sir.
05:41Take care.
05:42Goodbye.
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