External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US State Secretary Marco Rubio in Malaysia on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. He appreciated their discussion on ‘bilateral ties’ amid the ongoing trade talks between New Delhi and Washington.
In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, “Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues.”
The meeting comes amid the ongoing trade talks between the two countries.
India’s recent take on trade talks
Last week, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had made it clear that India will not sign any trade agreement in haste or will reject conditions from partner countries that restrict its trading choices.
He pointed out that trade deals are not just about tariffs or market access, but about building trust, long-term ties, and creating sustainable frameworks for global business cooperation.
Goyal said that New Delhi would take a measured approach. Hinting at the ongoing trade talks with Washington, he said, “In a very short-term context, it’s not about what is going to happen in the next six months. It’s not just about being able to sell steel to America.”
He emphasised that India’s approach to trade negotiations is not driven by pressure to meet immediate trade targets, but by a long-term vision.
“Trade deals are for a longer duration. It’s not only about tariffs, it’s also about trust and a relationship. Trade deals are also about businesses,” he said.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal on Friday said that trade talks between India and the US are “progressing well” and the two sides are “converging” on most issues, hinting that a mutually beneficial deal is imminent.
“I think we are very close,” Agrawal said, referring to the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on February 13.
According to the joint statement from February, the first part of the proposed BTA was expected to be concluded by the fall, which is September through November in the US.
Trade negotiators from both sides are in regular touch to iron out issues related to non-tariff barriers and are currently sorting out the language of the draft agreement, HT reported earlier, citing a government official with direct knowledge of the matter.
