Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Siddhant Mishra of CNN-News18

QUESTION:  So Secretary of State Marco Rubio, thank you so much for finding out time to do this interview.  In fact, this afternoon you met Prime Minister Modi.  In fact, you also extended invite to Prime Minister Modi to visit D.C.  Indian-U.S. relationship is considered as one of the most consequential relationships of 21st century.  What are the key deliverables from this visit of yours to India?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I view it more as a continuation of a very strong relationship and looking for new areas of opportunity.  We hope to have finalized very, very soon a trade agreement that’s going to make both of our countries stronger.  We obviously share a lot of the same security concerns.  We’re also using India as the forum for our next Quad meeting for foreign ministers.  In fact, it was the first meeting I ever did as the Secretary of State was a Quad meeting, and we were due for another one, and so we felt this was the right place to do it. 

We have a lot of commonality obviously.  There are a lot of investments in the United States by Indian companies.  So I view this visit, as much as anything else, as sort of a continuation, just continuing to build on what we already have as a foundation and the progress that’s been made in just the last year and a half in the second Trump Administration.

QUESTION:  Okay.  Secretary, are India-U.S. differences over Russian oil purchases now largely behind us?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, the Russian oil purchase issue obviously had nothing – it wasn’t about India.  It was about a desire to impose a cost on Russia because of the war in Ukraine, and India just happens to be a big purchaser, but it was never aimed at India per se.  There’s been some new dynamics in place nonetheless since that time.  And so I think what you’ve seen, though, is that in the process of addressing that, we’ve also seen an opportunity for India to continue to – its plan, its already pre-existing plan – to diversify its energy sources.  And that includes the United States and potentially some other countries like Venezuela.  So we want to continue to be a good partner in that regard. 

And so I don’t think that issue is going to feature very prominently in the future, because India was already moving towards diversification, and so as I said – and hopefully the war in Ukraine will end.

QUESTION:  Secretary, State Department release says that the focus of your visit is going to be defense cooperation.  So is Washington looking at elevating defense cooperation with India beyond tech sharing into joint manufacturing and supply chain integration?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, look, I mean, one of the key areas that I think we can build our partnership and our relationship in is in the defense field, first in just coordinating the interoperability of our forces for any contingency that might happen in the future, and that – people oftentimes think that means a war, but it could also mean a humanitarian crisis somewhere in the Indo-Pacific where, jointly, we could be able to respond together to that.  I think the straits remind us of how important shipping lanes are and how important protecting global shipping is to both of our economies.  And so the ability of our navies and our forces to work together and practice together and learn about one another will allow us, in a contingency somewhere down the line, to be able to work together. 

As far as joint production, that would be ideal.  I mean, obviously that’s something we have to build on, but that would be ideal because India has tremendous capacity.  It has a very highly skilled workforce, and I know our companies are very interested in producing here.  And we, I think – not just the United States and India, but multiple countries around the world have a need to develop their defense industrial base, and I think India could be a tremendous contributor to that.

QUESTION:  Okay.  Secretary, what does the United States expect from India as far as the West Asia crisis is concerned?  And perhaps since you are here in India, I would also like to use it as an opportunity to ask with you the status of the negotiations going on, because it is impacting my country as well.  The fuel prices have gone up and there is an energy shortage being reported, et cetera, et cetera.  So by when we can expect the normalcy at the Hormuz Strait, and if you can share some details about the negotiations? 

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Sure.  Well, look, I mean, the reason why oil prices are going up, the reason why there’s an energy shortage in parts of the world is because Iran has decided to illegally, unlawfully, and criminally try to take control of the Straits of Hormuz, and threaten to sink commercial ships that do not pay them at all or comply with their instructions.  This is totally violative of anything that’s known – or allowed in the law. 

And I think the United States and India both share a very common belief, a strong common belief, that what is happening in the Straits of Hormuz is unacceptable.  It cannot happen; it must be reversed immediately.  And by the way, if this becomes the new normal, then other countries in this region and around the world, maybe they’ll decide that they’re going to turn some waterway near their coastline into a toll lane.  And before you know it, the entire mechanism of international trade is in danger.  So I think India and the United States are perfectly aligned in it.  We spoke about it today with the prime minister, who is very forceful about that as well. 

Obviously, as far as the negotiations are concerned, it’s not easy to negotiate with Iran.  It’s a fractured system led by radical clerics.  But that said, we’re going to give it every opportunity.  We would prefer a negotiated and peaceful end not just of the straits – of the situation in the Straits of Hormuz, but more – just as importantly, the nuclear threat from Iran.  We would prefer that that be addressed through negotiation.  And we’re going to continue.  And we’re – even as I speak to you now, there are people involved in those conversations in the hopes of furthering that.  But the President’s been clear that the status quo will not remain.  One way or the other, we’re going to address it, and the President’s been clear about that.

QUESTION:  Very last question, very quickly.  Can we expect Quad leaders’ summit to be taking place this year?

SECRETARY RUBIO:  We want to.  We have to find the opportunity to do that.  We’d like to do it as a standalone event – and maybe if it’s an opportunity to do it as a side event to a broader gathering where all the leaders are going to be there.  In some countries, it’s an election year, including ours, so it makes travel a little bit more difficult.  But ideally, we do want to have a leaders’ Quad meeting.  It would be perfect if we could do it as a standalone meeting, but we’d like to get them together, even if it’s because they happen to be in the same place at the same time, as a side meeting. 

But it’s an important signal to continue to build on the Quad, but just as important as the leaders’ meeting is turning the Quad not just to a meeting that happens with countries that like each other, but a mechanism that starts producing real work product.  And we’ve begun to see that happen.  That’s the most encouraging part about the Quad. 

QUESTION:  Thank you so much, Secretary, for finding out time today. 

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Thank you.  Thank you very much. 

QUESTION:  Thanks a lot. 

SECRETARY RUBIO:  Thank you.