India–US Trade Agreement Close As Talks Make ‘Tremendous Progress’: US Secretary of State

New Delhi, May 25 (KNN) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held wide-ranging talks in New Delhi on Sunday, with Rubio declaring that the two countries are "on the verge" of reaching a bilateral trade agreement following "tremendous progress" in negotiations. 

Jaishankar, in turn, laid out five guiding principles that underpin India's approach to global conflicts and economic stability.

The EAM said, "I would make five points here. One, that we advocate dialogue and diplomacy to address conflicts. Two, we support safe and unimpeded maritime commerce. Three, we demand scrupulous respect for international law," ANI reported.

"Four, we are against the weaponisation of market shares and resources. And five, we believe in the value of trusted partnerships and resilient supply chains to de-risk the global economy," he added.

Rubio described the discussions as productive and expressed a strong desire to deepen the economic partnership further.

He said, “First of all, I accept the contribution that Indians have made to the US economy. Over USD 20 billion has been invested in the US economy by Indian companies. We want that number to continue to increase."

(KNN Bureau)