Jaishankar-Rubio meeting offers opportunity to narrow differences, improve ties: Former diplomat Surendra Kumar

Speaking to ANI, Kumar said the engagement between the two leaders was significant in the context of recent tensions in India-US relations, although he noted that the reiteration of existing positions did not necessarily signal a major breakthrough.

Any opportunity whenever External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and the Secretary of State can meet, it provides an opportunity to exchange views, to narrow differences and all that, Kumar said.

He added that the discussions could help improve the atmosphere between the two countries, which had witnessed tensions over several issues.

I personally feel Rubio and Jaishankar's exchanges might have certainly improved the atmosphere, which was rather tense, he said.

On the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement, Kumar welcomed indications from US President Donald Trump and Rubio that a deal was close. However, he questioned the timeline for its conclusion, citing earlier assurances that an agreement was imminent.

Close means how close? Because six months back, the US ambassador to India said this first tranche of the deal is a week away. Now the week has already passed, he said.

Kumar said the conclusion of the agreement would be a breakthrough and create opportunities to expand trade between the two countries.

If it happens, certainly it will really be a breakthrough and certainly provide more opportunities to expand our trade from both sides, he said, adding that the progress must be assessed through tangible outcomes.

Turning to counterterrorism, Kumar expressed concern over what he described as the gap between US commitments and action against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.

Here, Pakistan for us is the epicentre of terrorism. You talk about commitment to dismantle infrastructure. How will you dismantle? Have you dismantled in the last 10 years? No. You will not dismantle, he said.

He also questioned whether Washington's engagement with Pakistan's leadership adequately reflected India's security concerns, particularly following the Pahalgam terror attack.

On energy cooperation, Kumar said India must assess potential oil purchases, including from Venezuela, on the basis of practical considerations such as price, availability and affordability.

You simply go on, 'don't buy from Iran, don't buy from Assad, go to buy Venezuela' is very easy, but we have to see the practical side of it, he said, adding that India was working to diversify its energy sources.

Kumar also welcomed US-linked investments in India, including developments involving Reliance Industries in Jamnagar, while cautioning that headline investment figures should be assessed against actual commitments and implementation.

Things should not be confined only to nice words. This should follow through by actions, he said.

Describing the United States as an important partner, Kumar said Washington should remain sensitive to India's interests and concerns. He maintained that continued dialogue between Jaishankar and Rubio could help both sides address differences and strengthen cooperation across key sectors. (ANI)