- 4 hours ago
In an exclusive interview with India Today's Raj Chengappa, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined key pillars of the India-US partnership, covering bilateral trade, energy dynamics, visa regulations, counter-terrorism, and regional stability. Addressing negotiations on a trade pact, Rubio noted, 'We're very close, and I anticipate. I can't, I can't foresee anything that will keep us from reaching agreement.' He defended temporary US purchases of Russian diesel to stabilise global prices while encouraging India to diversify crude sources toward the Western Hemisphere and ramp up domestic refining. On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Rubio asserted that the dispute centers largely on the Donbas region and stressed that 'this war is not going to be solved militarily. This war is only going to end diplomatically.' He also clarified that recent US visa adjustments apply globally rather than targeting Indians, maintained that Washington's ties with Pakistan will not compromise anti-terror cooperation with New Delhi, and reaffirmed Quad initiatives in maritime security and resilient supply chains.
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00:00But our top focus tonight is an exclusive interview with Team Trump.
00:04Two key members, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gaur.
00:11From in India, U.S. ties to global energy scenarios to terrorism,
00:15Rubio spoke on a wide range of issues in a conversation with India Today's Raj Chengappa.
00:20Here are 10 big takeaways.
00:22Rubio claims India and the U.S. are very close to a trade deal.
00:26He's defended America's diesel deal with Russia, claiming that it benefits the entire world.
00:33Rubio says purchasing Venezuelan oil will help India diversify its energy sources.
00:39Rubio claims he went to see Jamnagar's Reliance refinery to see how the world's largest refinery works.
00:47He also claimed that Reliance is investing in expanding refining capabilities in U.S.
00:52and its investment in Brownsville should be online by 2029.
00:57Rubio insisted that the visa rule changes announced by the Trump administration are not targeted at India or Indians.
01:04Rubio has defended America's relationship with Pakistan,
01:08but added that U.S. ties with Pakistan are not at the expense of U.S.-India ties.
01:14Marco Rubio says Russia-Ukraine war is mostly about the Donbass region now,
01:18and he added that only diplomacy can end the war.
01:23We'll be joined by special guests on this big interview,
01:26but first, let's play what Marco Rubio said.
01:30Excerpts of it up ahead.
01:32Take a look.
01:37President Trump had said that India and the U.S. are pretty close to sign an agreement,
01:42and it will be different.
01:44What I'd like to know is Washington willing to give India the competitive tariff advantage
01:49it is seeking for this interim trade agreement?
01:51Well, I'm not going to get into the specifics of any agreement until they're done
01:54because there's still a number of items being negotiated, although very few.
01:58So we're very close, and I anticipate I can't foresee anything that will keep us from reaching agreement,
02:03but there's still some items that are being discussed.
02:05So I'd prefer not to go into the details of it until it's all fully worked out.
02:08Suffice it to say that once this deal is done, it has to be one that's beneficial to both countries,
02:14and that's what I anticipate it will be.
02:15And I think the concern is that India expects continuity rather than unpredictability,
02:21and there is a super 301 provision hovering around.
02:25So could we expect that there will be continuity and not, you know, continuously have to revise our tax?
02:31Well, that's the point.
02:32The point of having an agreement is to be able to have certainty so that people know they can invest,
02:36people know what the rules are that are going to govern terrain and commerce between the two countries.
02:40That's the very purpose of having a deal.
02:41And so that's what we're working towards, and I feel very optimistic that we're going to get to a very
02:47good place very soon.
02:48When it comes to the investment relationship, where do you see the next big wave of American investment coming into
02:54India,
02:55and in which sectors do you think that will be?
02:56Look, our bilateral trade is at an all-time high.
03:00Our bilateral trade 15 years ago used to be $20 billion.
03:03Today it's $240 billion, and it goes both ways.
03:06You have incredible investment coming into the United States.
03:08The president recently hosted SR and Oval Office.
03:10They're opening incredible facilities, multi-billion-dollar facilities in the United States that are creating jobs in local communities for
03:17Americans.
03:18On the other hand, this is a win-win situation.
03:20We have American companies that have moved here, especially relating to IT.
03:25Now, when they move here, that complements a job back home also.
03:28This is not a one-way street.
03:29And so our goal is to keep increasing that bilateral trade and identify those win-win situations.
03:35Okay, moving to energy, Secretary Rubio, can you please elaborate on the national interest cited by President Trump for the
03:43U.S. to buy Russian diesel,
03:46and also a waiver of sanctions for India to buy Russian crude oil, when earlier we were actually penalized for
03:52doing this?
03:52Well, a couple points.
03:53The first is, right now, you're looking at global economy.
03:56All foreign policy has to be balanced holistically.
03:58You can't just look at everything to the lens of one country or one conflict.
04:02And right now, while we remain very concerned and are doing all we can to bring an end to the
04:05war between Russia and Ukraine,
04:07we also recognize the impact that that war is having on the global economy,
04:10in addition to what we've seen in the Straits of Wormuz and now increasingly the Red Sea.
04:14And so I think the president made a very wise decision, which is to, for some short period of time,
04:19allow there to be additional energy flows into the global marketplace, not just to benefit us.
04:24Obviously, it helps the United States, but also diesel prices are high all over the world.
04:28In the case of India, look, India has made real progress in diversifying its portfolio of energy.
04:33And it's done so not because of threats or anything of that nature.
04:37It's in India's interest to diversify its portfolio, where it gets energy from.
04:40You never want to be overly dependent on one country versus another.
04:43So it was already on that trajectory to begin with.
04:45So it's not so much about buying less Russian oil than it is about buying more U.S. crude or
04:50Venezuelan
04:51or others from the Western Hemisphere.
04:52I think that's in India's interests.
04:55And obviously, we want to help facilitate it.
04:57And more importantly, where India has real capability is the capability to ramp up refining,
05:02which crude oil is great, but you need to refine it in order for it to be a usable product.
05:06And I think India has the capacity and the capability not just to refine more,
05:11but to, in a very short order, have the kinds of investments that would allow it to expand its refining
05:16capability even further.
05:17And that's why you went to Jamnagar.
05:19And was it to enhance energy cooperation between India and the U.S.?
05:22If you already have energy cooperation, it's more important to go see the facility and see how they're operating
05:27and understand a little bit more about how it works.
05:29It's a very impressive facility.
05:30But it also happens to be a company that has an investment in the United States in Brownsville
05:34that is hopefully going to be online by 2029.
05:37So it was a good opportunity to interact with a company that's investing in expanding refining capability
05:43in the United States at the same time as a facility that I think could play a role in helping
05:47refine more crude from the Western Hemisphere
05:49and thereby allowing the world to diversify away from the Middle East.
05:54I want to continue with this question of energy.
05:57And if you look at India recently opening up its civil nuclear sector for private investment,
06:03particularly in the small modular reactors that you're talking about,
06:06do you see now finally a breakthrough moment for American investment in technology in India?
06:12We've had incredible momentum on that.
06:14And as you know, things take time.
06:16But to the government's credit here, to Prime Minister Modi's credit,
06:19the shanty bill passed, which enables SMRs and private technology
06:23and this new equipment to be able to come to India.
06:29And so there has been some regulation challenges.
06:31Nothing gets done overnight.
06:32These are very complex issues.
06:33And they'll set up the relationship for decades to come, right?
06:36But India is one of the first places that the United States is looking at,
06:39possibly to have our first SMRs internationally.
06:42And so we're on an incredible path there.
06:44We've had meetings in Washington.
06:46We've had meetings on this in Delhi.
06:47We've had some meetings right here in Mumbai
06:49because the regulatory agency for India is based here on that.
06:52So it is moving in the right direction.
06:54I do think we'll get there on that soon also.
06:56Being in the process of re-industrializing itself, right?
07:01And in that context, shouldn't it be welcoming highly skilled Indian professionals
07:06as in the past, rather than hiking the prices for their work visas
07:10and also for Indian students?
07:12Well, but that's a change in our immigration laws,
07:14and it's not one that's built on India.
07:16It's not one that's focused on India.
07:18It happens to impact Indians that want to come to the United States and work
07:21and that our businesses are trying to bring in.
07:23But it's not geared towards India.
07:24It is global.
07:25In fact, there's no meeting in the world that I do that they don't raise some visa issue.
07:29The United States has had a broken immigration system.
07:32We've had a system in which, maybe not in this program, but in others,
07:35we had 20 million people unlawfully enter the country across our border.
07:39We've had business-related immigration programs that in many cases have been rampant fraud and abuse
07:45and have been misused in ways that have not made sense.
07:47We have tensions in our own society.
07:49I mean, what country in the world people would not react if they see that some of the best jobs
07:54in the country
07:55are being taken from people that are coming from abroad?
07:57So these things have to be addressed, and we're trying to address them, but they're not aimed at India.
08:00They apply to any country, every country in the world.
08:04That's true on trade.
08:05That's true on immigration.
08:06I know that for countries that are perhaps disproportionately impacted by a policy change in the United States,
08:11it may feel like it's being targeted, but it's not.
08:15We're going to get it right, and we're going to have a system that works for our economy and for
08:18the American people.
08:19In the end, I will say this.
08:20I expect that the government of India will always put the people of India first
08:25and that you will always put the national interest of India first.
08:28But I also hope everyone understands that the United States under President Trump
08:32is going to put our people first, our workers first, and our country first.
08:35And where I think friends can work together is when there are differences on this,
08:38our existing, our common interests, our long-standing relationship, and our shared values
08:44will allow us to work through some of those differences to reach outcomes that are positive for both countries.
08:49What is America doing to assure India that its current closer ties with Pakistan
08:54will not come at the expense of India's fight against terrorism?
08:58Well, first of all, the United States has to have a relationship with as many countries in the world as
09:02possible
09:02because we have a global presence and a global interest in anything that's going on.
09:07So our relationship with Pakistan is not new.
09:10I think it's just developed in a way that allows us to have, hopefully,
09:14more influence over the decisions they make on a variety of topics.
09:18In no way does the relationship with Pakistan come at the expense of our relationship with India.
09:23We share the same concerns India does about terrorism.
09:26We have been victims of terrorism, as India has been,
09:28and we continue to, in fact, no country in the world does more to go after terrorism in the United
09:33States
09:33than the United States.
09:35It was the United States under President Trump that destroyed ISIS or Daesh in the Middle East.
09:39It's the United States that eroded Al-Qaeda.
09:41It's the United States that went in and eliminated Bin Laden.
09:45It's the United States that's gone in now and, unfortunately, has had to go into parts of Africa
09:49and take on these elements as well.
09:51So I don't think any country in the world has shown a greater commitment
09:54to go after the terrorism, terrorism, global terrorism in the United States has done.
09:58And that includes many of the same sort of ideologies that also threaten India.
10:02President Putin said yesterday that Russia was willing for a tripartite meeting with the U.S.
10:07and Ukraine over ending the war.
10:10What do you see as a realistic path to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
10:14Well, it's a very difficult conflict to end.
10:16I know the president has dedicated a tremendous amount of time to it.
10:20We have people that do nothing all day but work on trying to find a way to make a difference
10:24and bridge those differences.
10:25I would just say to you that that war, while people keep talking about it's a war in Ukraine,
10:29that war is about Donbass.
10:30It's about one region of the country.
10:32At its core, it's about 11% of one part of that country that Russia wants and cannot take militarily
10:38and that Ukraine is unwilling to give up.
10:41And they have the reasons why they don't want to do that for sovereignty and their own security long term.
10:45And so the question is whether there's some accommodation that both sides will have to make
10:49some concessions in order to bring an end to the war.
10:52This war is not going to be solved militarily.
10:54This war is only going to end diplomatically.
10:56And the question is, can you arrive at an outcome in which both sides receive something,
11:01a benefit, but also give concessions and bring this to an end?
11:04So it's been difficult.
11:05But I can tell you this, as hard as it is, it is impossible to do unless both sides are
11:09at
11:09the table talking.
11:10And we're happy to play the mediating role in that regard.
11:13So that's really what we're trying to do, not claiming that just getting them in the
11:16room is going to solve this problem.
11:17But we have no chance to solve it if we can't get them in the room.
11:20I'm glad you mentioned the Quad because how do you see, Secretary, the Quad evolving,
11:26particularly in the face of China's growing assertiveness?
11:29And what more can India and the United States do together to secure critical supply chains
11:35and reduce their dependence on China?
11:37Well, just on the Quad point, it's a relationship and it's a construct that we've developed.
11:41It's actually the first meeting I ever did as Secretary of State.
11:44It was a Quad meeting.
11:45I think we've had more Quad meetings in the last year and a half than probably the previous
11:49four years combined at the foreign ministry level.
11:51And I understand that.
11:52And we're going to have a leaders level meeting now very shortly, probably in December
11:56at some point.
11:56And we try to arrange even more before the end of President Trump's terms.
12:00He's got two and a half years left.
12:02So this is a very important relationship.
12:04But I think it's important not just because we have four countries that are coordinated with
12:07one another.
12:08We're beginning to see outcomes.
12:09We're beginning to see results.
12:11As an example, maritime awareness, the ability to know what's happening under the water, threatening
12:15cables and so forth.
12:16This is something that the Quad is working together on and real things are happening.
12:21I think the same is true.
12:22I think it's an area of cooperation that we can have when it comes to supply chains writ
12:26large.
12:26The one thing I think is a consistent theme across the world, but certainly in the U.S.-India
12:31relationship is we do not want to be overly dependent on any country in the world.
12:35I'm not singling out China.
12:37I'm saying any country in the world.
12:38We don't want to depend on any single country in the world for 90 percent of anything that's
12:42critical to our economies.
12:43And we have to have the domestic capacity to do certain things for ourselves.
12:47I think that's an interest India has.
12:49That's certainly an interest the United States has under President Trump.
12:51And I think that's something we can work together on.
12:53And that is where can we create domestic capabilities in a mutually beneficial way for both countries
13:00on various key sectors, be it artificial intelligence or technology or biomedicine or pharmaceuticals.
13:07I mean, the list goes on.
13:08And on critical minerals, obviously everybody talks about those.