00:00Moving on to the other big story, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's India visit comes at a
00:05very crucial moment in the India-U.S. ties with trade, tariff, energy security, strategy
00:11cooperation firmly on the agenda. But a day before his arrival in India, the U.S. Secretary of State
00:17delivered a major update on the India-U.S. trade deal saying the two sides are very close to
00:22finalizing an agreement. Rubio indicated energy security and global impact of sanctions remain
00:29important considerations for Washington, D.C. He arrives in India tomorrow. Mumbai and Jamnagar
00:35are on his itinerary. But for New Delhi, the priority remains clear protection of Indian
00:41national interests, Indian economic interests and national interests, while expanding economic ties
00:46with the United States of America. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jai Shankar has indicated that
00:51negotiations are approaching a landing point. But he stressed that global trade landscape is changing
00:58and countries must adapt to new realities. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also underlined the
01:03importance of trust. Trusted international partnership and resilient supply chains with
01:10India, seeking reliable partners without compromising India's strategic autonomy. The energy question
01:17remains significant. Washington, D.C. has acknowledged that foreign policy must balance the Russia-Ukraine war
01:23with other realities of other countries' energy needs and bilateral relationships. So finally, it does appear
01:33the U.S. is seeing the light of day. But listen in to Marco Rubio. I'll get you more on
01:38the story.
01:40We've had to waive sanctions over the past few months, as you know, because of looking at the global
01:46supplies, looking at global prices and the impact it was having on other countries. I mean, I know diesel prices
01:51are high
01:51in the United States, but they're really, really high in a bunch of other countries around the world.
01:55And then we have to manage all these things. We're trying to finalize a trade deal with India right
01:59now. We're very close to doing that. So that's one of the things we take into consideration when the
02:04president makes a decision about national security waivers and things of that nature. Every country has a
02:08complex set of factors that they have to take into account. Geography is real. For some countries,
02:13it's very difficult to acquire energy from alternative sources. That's not an excuse, but all that has to be
02:18balanced when you make foreign policy. The foreign policy of the United States, of course, takes into
02:22account what's happening with the war between Russia and Ukraine. But it is not solely dominated
02:26by that. It has to take into account a variety of other factors, including our bilateral relationships
02:31with other countries and what they realistically are capable of being able to do in terms of their
02:35own energy supplies. You also can't unravel the economy of other countries because of one central
02:42issue. So that's the complex part of having to balance all of this.
02:47India has been saying this all along. The interests of Indian citizens is priority for India, for the
02:56leadership in India. But what happens? Because it's not done till it's done. Is it finally reaching
03:01that landing point? And what is it that India gets out of this deal, especially when it comes to what
03:07our peers are getting in that region? Because India must retain that competitive edge. We'll be tracking that
03:13story very closely. But that is all I have for you on this special broadcast.
03:17Many thanks for watching. News and updates continue on India today.
03:20Stay close.
