Washington, June 27 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is on its way to becoming a global power and increasingly participating in the decisions being made on the international stage.

Speaking exclusively to IANS at the White House, Rubio said that India is a “close partner and ally” of the United States and added that the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump “couldn’t be closer”. He also mentioned that the United States wants to play a bigger role in meeting India’s growing energy needs, backing New Delhi’s strategy of diversifying its energy sources while arguing that closer India-US cooperation can strengthen long-term energy security.

Excerpts from the interview:

IANS: How do you view Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in India’s progress and his global standing?

Marco Rubio: We’re enormous fans of Prime Minister Modi and what he’s done. He leads a country that’s making incredible gains economically. And it’s really coming into its own, as sort of a global power, a country that’s increasingly accounted for on decisions being made on the global stage.

IANS: How do you think the India-US relationship has progressed in the recent times?

Marco Rubio: 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. We look forward to re-engaging again in another Quad meeting very soon, which India and I look forward to returning to before the end of the year and setting up a Presidential visit in the early parts of next year.

IANS: What do you think about President Trump’s visit to India?

Marco Rubio: We’re hoping, and that’s what we’re working towards sometime early next year to have the President come, and I think it’s very positive. 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 I think is really important in diplomacy.

IANS: India’s energy requirement has been impacted due to the West Asia conflict, how do you think both countries can work together to address the needs?

Marco Rubio: I think India has been focused for a very long time on diversifying its sources of energy, and I think that trend will continue, and we certainly would love to be a part of that. We think we have some solutions in that regard. But beyond that, I would say that one of the reasons why the President has given peace a chance in the Middle East is the desire to see more fuel enter the marketplace for our allies. But, I think the long-term solution really is to diversify their supplies. And, I know India has been talking to not just the United States, but also Venezuela, we’re working with them very closely to increase their production capacity. I think they could serve; India is one of the few countries in the world with their ability to refine the heavy crude that Venezuela produces. That’s a thing we look to facilitate as well.

IANS: What is your vision of the India-US relationship?

Marco Rubio: It’s very amazing, between the largest democracy in the world and the oldest democracy in the world. We have so much aligned and in common that we can build and work on together, our interests, on economics, supply chains, critical minerals, energy, security, and the freedom of navigation. These are all issues that bind us together. We’re aligned on so many things, obviously. We have a very strong Indian-American community as well, which is an additional link between our countries.

IANS: You are quite popular among the Indian-American community. What do you have to say about that?

Marco Rubio: I’m glad to hear that. I appreciate that very much. It’s a community that’s enriched our country in many ways.

–IANS

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