Washington, June 27: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that India is emerging as a global power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while describing the India-US partnership as stronger than ever and expressing optimism over an early conclusion of the proposed bilateral trade agreement.
In an exclusive interview with IANS at the White House, Rubio said India was increasingly playing a decisive role in global affairs and asserted that the relationship between Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump “couldn’t be closer.”
“We’re enormous fans of Prime Minister Modi and what he’s done. He leads a country that’s making incredible gains economically and is really coming into its own as a global power,” Rubio said, adding that India is “increasingly accounted for on decisions being made on the global stage.”
Highlighting the growing strategic partnership between New Delhi and Washington, Rubio said recent engagements between the two leaders had further strengthened bilateral ties.
“I think it’s going fantastic. It’s very strong. We had a great meeting with the Prime Minister and the President at the G7 and we’re hoping to finalise a trade deal. We’re on the last inches of getting it done and it’s very positive,” he said.
Rubio also said the United States was looking forward to the next Quad meeting and was working towards facilitating President Trump’s visit to India in early 2027.
“We’re hoping sometime early next year to have the President come. India is such a close partner and ally of the United States, and the relationship between the Prime Minister and the President couldn’t be closer, which is really important in diplomacy,” he said.
On energy cooperation, Rubio said Washington wants to play a greater role in meeting India’s growing energy requirements, particularly as New Delhi continues to diversify its sources of energy.
He said the United States could contribute to India’s long-term energy security while also facilitating access to Venezuelan crude, noting that India possesses significant refining capacity for heavy crude oil.
“I think the long-term solution really is to diversify supplies. We certainly would love to be a part of that,” Rubio said.
Describing India-US relations as a natural partnership, Rubio said the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy shared common interests across sectors including trade, supply chains, critical minerals, energy, maritime security and freedom of navigation.
“We have so much aligned and in common that we can build and work on together,” he said, adding that the Indian-American community continues to serve as an important bridge between the two countries.
Rubio also expressed appreciation for the Indian-American community, saying it had enriched the United States in many ways.
