EAM Jaishankar talks energy, raises visa issues with US counterpart Marco Rubio

NEW DELHI: India and the US focused on scaling up energy, defence and critical minerals cooperation, while seeking an early conclusion of the interim trade pact, as external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his US counterpart Marco Rubio sought to revitalise ties - after a year of strife - in their first bilateral in India, reports Sachin Parashar.

Jaishankar raised with Rubio the challenges faced by legitimate travellers because of visa-related issues, linking it with the health of business, technology and research cooperation. The minister said while the two sides were cooperating to deal with illegal and irregular mobility, India's expectation is that legal mobility would not be adversely impacted as a consequence.

Rubio said, notwithstanding the recent friction over India's continued purchase of Russian crude, the India-US strategic partnership was special because the two countries were aligned on all great challenges of the modern era.

Rubio: Actions on trade, visa global, not targeted at India

It’s a strategic alliance between two countries that has global influence and the ability to influence global events. And that distinguishes it from other relationships,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his media statement.

Rubio denied that there was any loss of momentum in the relationship because of differences over any issue, saying US actions on trade and visas were carried out with a global perspective and were not targeted at India alone.

He expressed hope that a US trade delegation would arrive soon in India for more talks. As they discussed the West Asia situation and other global issues, Jaishankar reiterated India’s support for dialogue and diplomacy; safe and unimpeded maritime commerce; scrupulous respect for international law; and trusted partnerships and resilient supply chains to de-risk the global economy.

With a focus also on cooperation in critical minerals, an area dominated by China, Jaishankar said India is against any weaponisation of market shares and resources.

Jaishankar also mentioned India’s zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism in his media statement, thanking the US for strong counterterrorism cooperation. Asked about Pakistan’s mediation in the US-Iran peace talks, the minister only said that it’s for the parties to work out.

Without taking Pakistan’s name, Rubio said that US ties with any country will not come at the expense of its “strategic alliance” with India and that Washington works at a tactical level with many countries. Jaishankar defended India’s energy ties with the US, saying this is an era of de-risking and energy “more than anything else requires de-risking”.

“And for us, the US is a very significant and reliable source of energy, as indeed are some other countries. So the way we will deal with the current situation in Hormuz is to diversify our energy sources, because that is at the heart of our energy security,” said Jaishankar, adding that the energy market should not be distorted or constrained.

According to Jaishankar, both sides are driven by their respective national interests in the relationship. There will be many areas where our national interests are in harmony... there could be some where they are not, in which case we have to manage those situations. For our energy security, it’s important we have multiple sources — large, dependable and cheap”.

On the visa issues that Indians are faced with, Rubio said that the US modernisation of its migration system is not targeted at India and that all countries act in their national interest, including on their immigration policy. According to Rubio, while there will be some bumps during this period of transition, the US may end up with a system that in some ways would prove to be even more beneficial than for those from India seeking to enter the US to work and innovate.

Jaishankar and Rubio also discussed nuclear cooperation, with the former saying that the passage of India’s SHANTI Act, which overhauls India’s nuclear energy sector, has opened up new possibilities. “An American delegation was recently in India. We hope to realise the potential of cooperation in the nuclear domain,” he said.