EAM Jaishankar speaks to Marco Rubio, says 'agreed on the importance of early conclusion of BTA'

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday agreed on the importance of early conclusion of the Bilateral Trade Agreement. Taking to social media, Jaishankar said the two officials exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, the Indian Sub-continent, Europe, Middle East/West Asia and the Caribbean.

After weeks of anticipation and speculation, US President Donald Trump followed through on his tariff threats in early April by declaring a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries and higher tariff rates on dozens of nations that run trade surpluses with the United States.

India and the US agreed in February to clinch an early trade deal by autumn 2025 to resolve their standoff on tariffs. Media reports citing senior Indian government officials  added that New Delhi does not plan to retaliate against US President Donald Trump's 26 per cent tariff on imports from the Asian nation.

Speaking recently at NATO headquarters in Brussels, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had appealed “rich countries” like India and China to donate more significantly in terms of the recent earthquakes in Myanmar. He called for broader international contribution in humanitarian crises.

Clarifying on the US stance on humanitarian assistance, Rubio stated: “We are not the government of the world,” he stated. “We’ll provide assistance..but we also have other needs we must balance.” Replying to questions related to USAID’s reduced footprint, he mentioned that operation barriers exist in Myanmar because of the country’s military leadership. “It’s not the easiest place to work. They don’t necessarily allow us to operate in that country the way we want to.”

India was among the first responders after the March 28 earthquake in Myanmar to launch Operation Brahma within hours of the disaster. A C-130J aircraft delivered the first phase of 15 tonnes of relief, which included food, tents, blankets, and essential medicines.