Marco Rubio arrives in Jamnagar to visit Reliance refinery as India-US trade deal moves closer to final agreement

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Wednesday, where he is scheduled to visit Reliance Industries Ltd's refinery and Vantara.

His visit comes a day after he met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai for talks on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement and other issues between the two countries.

India and the US welcomed the progress made in negotiations and reaffirmed their commitment to working towards an early conclusion of the trade agreement. Rubio said only “a small number of items” remained to be resolved, adding that the agreement could be wrapped up shortly.

Rubio's Jamnagar visit

Rubio's visit to Jamnagar includes a tour of Reliance Industries Ltd's refinery and Vantara. The Jamnagar refinery complex is one of Reliance's key businesses and has been an important part of India's energy sector.

Energy has become an important issue in India-US talks as Washington has raised concerns over India's purchases of Russian oil. The US has also been seeking greater energy trade with India.

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Reliance has business interests in the US energy sector, and the company's refining operations have drawn attention during discussions on India-US energy ties.

India-US trade talks

The trade agreement has been a major issue in discussions between the two countries. The negotiations have continued amid disagreements over US tariffs on Indian goods and India's market access.

Rubio said in Mumbai that only “a small number of items” were left to resolve. He added that the agreement could be wrapped up shortly.

The two countries have also been discussing issues related to energy, technology and defence as part of their wider relationship.

Rubio visits 26/11 memorial

After arriving in Mumbai on Tuesday, Rubio visited the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel memorial and laid a wreath for the victims of the November 2008 terror attacks.

Six American citizens were among those killed in the attacks.

Rubio's visit to the memorial came as India and the US continued to stress cooperation on counterterrorism.

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Tariffs, H-1B fees and Russian oil

India and the US continue to have differences over several issues. These include Washington's trade policies, punitive tariffs imposed last year, immigration restrictions and higher H-1B visa fees.

The two countries have also disagreed over India's purchases of Russian oil.

Rubio's visit comes as both governments try to make progress on the trade agreement while dealing with these differences.

This is Rubio's second visit to India in five months. He arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday and met Jaishankar later that day.