India-US trade deal in final stage, cooperation extends to defense and energy too

India and the United States have expressed commitment to finalize their proposed bilateral trade agreement soon, saying they will also expand cooperation in defense, technology and energy security.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks in Mumbai on Tuesday. The meeting discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said.

Secretary of State Rubio said the agreement has reached its final stage, with only some technical aspects left to be settled. He stressed that the deal should be announced only once agreement is reached on all details.

Saying there is extraordinary alignment between the two countries on key national interests, he said diplomatic and economic cooperation should be broadened further. Rubio pointed to the potential to boost trade and investment from Mumbai, calling it India's economic hub.

US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, also said the two countries were very close to a deal, which he said would be completely different from previous agreements.

Earlier this month, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held talks on various aspects of the agreement. The two countries had announced the conclusion of the first phase of the deal's framework in February.