Jaishankar and Marco Rubio Talk Trade, Nuclear Cooperation
New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar and his US opposite number Marco Rubio discussed trade among other matters over the phone on Tuesday (January 13) as bilateral negotiations continue into their 11th month – which is being viewed as decisive for securing a deal – and Washington's unprecedented 50% tariff on India remains in place.
The discussion, which also spanned nuclear cooperation and critical minerals, took place after the US's newly arrived ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Monday that the two sides' “next call on trade will occur tomorrow”.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said that he and Rubio “discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy” during their “good conversation”. The two also agreed to “remain in touch” over these and other matters, he added.
Principal deputy state department spokesperson Tommy Pigott's statement on the ministers' conversation also noted that they had “discussed ongoing bilateral trade agreement negotiations and their shared interest in strengthening economic cooperation”.
“They also exchanged perspectives on regional developments, reaffirming the United States' and India's commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Pigott added.
Gor too shared an update on the phone call, writing on X that Jaishankar and Rubio had “discussed next steps regarding our bilateral trade negotiations, critical minerals and a possible meeting next month”.
His reference to a “possible meeting next month” comes as the foreign ministers of the Quad grouping – an initiative comprising the US, India, Australia and Japan that is meant to contain China's rise but which appears to have gone down Washington's list of priorities after Donald Trump took over the reins again – are expected to meet soon.
India was scheduled to host the Quad leaders' summit in 2025, which went by without such a meeting taking place. The year was also marked by bilateral trade tensions, with the Trump administration imposing a 50% levy on Indian goods – half of it a ‘penalty’ for New Delhi's sustained purchases of Russian crude oil – and Raisina Hill's reluctance to accede to Washington's demands for tariff concessions on dairy and certain agricultural products.
However, Pigott's statement foregrounded India's passage of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India or SHANTI Act that has done away with Indian law's stringent provisions that kept nuclear suppliers open to liability in the event of an adverse incident – something US suppliers had long demanded with Washington's backing – and allowed private players to enter the nuclear energy sector.
Rubio, said Pigott, congratulated Jaishankar on the new law's passage and “expressed interest in capitalising on this important development to enhance US-India civil nuclear cooperation, expand opportunities for American companies, advance shared energy security goals and secure critical mineral supply chains”.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
