Rubio, Jaishankar Seek Faster Progress on Trade and Defense Agreements
Manila–U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar agreed Wednesday to accelerate negotiations on key defense agreements and finalize an interim bilateral trade deal that Washington said is nearly complete.
The two officials met in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meetings and also discussed developments in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, according to a U.S. State Department readout.
“Secretary Rubio met today with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in Manila. The Secretary and Minister Jaishankar discussed recent developments in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific,” State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
The two sides also reviewed progress on defense cooperation and discussed completing agreements tied to commitments made by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
“The Secretary and Minister Jaishankar discussed finalizing key defense agreements in fulfillment of commitments made between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi last year,” the readout said.
Trade was also a major focus of the meeting as the two governments continued negotiations that have been underway for several months.
“The Secretary and Minister Jaishankar agreed on the importance of finalizing the interim trade deal, which is almost complete,” the State Department said.
The bilateral talks took place as the foreign ministers of the United States, India, Australia and Japan met under the Quad framework and issued a joint statement reaffirming their support for ASEAN and a rules-based Indo-Pacific.
The four ministers described their countries as “deeply invested in the region’s success” and pledged to expand cooperation with ASEAN member states.
“As ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partners, we, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Manila to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific and our unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality,” the statement said.
The Quad ministers said they discussed greater cooperation in maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance.
“We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region,” the statement added.
Rubio also used the ASEAN meetings to emphasize Washington’s commitment to Southeast Asia, describing the regional group as the United States’ main platform for engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
“As President Trump stated last year at the leaders meeting, the US-ASEAN, at the summit, we’re with ASEAN 100 per cent. This is the primary mechanism by which we engage the region,” Rubio said during the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the United States.
Rubio announced expanded U.S. strategic investments in Southeast Asia and said the region would play a central role in shaping the global economy in the coming decades, calling it “the engine of economic growth in the 21st century.” (Source: IANS)
