Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 20 (ANI): United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revealed that the India-US trade deal is "incredibly close", indicating that finalisation is anticipated shortly.

Speaking to Network18, Rubio noted that while he is not directly engaged in the negotiations, which are handled through the trade representative, he has closely monitored the discussions and expects the agreement to materialise in a matter of weeks, not months.

"I'm not personally negotiating it; it's done through our trade representative, but I know, and I've been very involved in watching it happen, that it is something we anticipate seeing in a matter of weeks, not months," said Rubio.

Elaborating on the meticulous final stages, he highlighted the necessity of absolute precision prior to public announcements to safeguard bilateral ties of such high importance.

"I felt that way before, and with these deals, it's always important that it would be totally agreed to, every detail of it, before it's announced because you can't afford for a relationship of this magnitude to be threatened by announcing a deal and it turning out the deal wasn't finalised. But it's incredibly close. I think we are down to some technical details that need to be worked out. Technical details matter because there has to be an agreement; both sides have to agree that the language means the same thing. So, it's down to that level," he said.

Addressing queries concerning comparative rates for India alongside other nations, Rubio affirmed that the overarching outcome remains highly advantageous.

"The preponderance of it is good for you. And that's what we aim to achieve here, and I can't wait till we do it because we have so many things we can work together on," Rubio stated.

Commenting on the sheer magnitude and diversity of the nation, the US Secretary of State underscored the necessity of broad exploratory visits rather than confining diplomatic engagements strictly to capitals.

"Well, this is a big country, it's an important country, and I think like any big country, I say, people, if you want to learn and see what's happening in the United States, you can't just go to Washington. You should probably try to go somewhere in the South, maybe somewhere on the West Coast, and you probably need to get to New York, in Chicago. And so, for us, I mean, I don't pretend that in my time as a Secretary of State I'll get to see all of India, or learn about every region, but I think it's important to see a country of this size and magnitude and to learn as much about it as you can," Rubio remarked.

Highlighting the pivotal role of India's commercial hub, Rubio explained the strategic rationale behind visiting Mumbai during his diplomatic tour.

"Mumbai, in particular, is the financial heart and soul of the country. It's where so many of the companies that are investing in and with the United States, and who we want to do more trade with, are located. It's the financial lifeblood of the country. So, it's logical to come here, and obviously I look forward to coming back and seeing the country again. I told our media earlier today; they were asking why we were here, you know, that media wants us to go to other parts of the world sometimes, not here. I said we actually don't come here enough if you think about the importance of this relationship. So now, I'm glad I'm here. But I'm glad there's a congressional delegation in town at the same time, and I know we've sent people here. The Attorney General's been here, the Commerce Secretary's been here, and I expect to be back," he added. (ANI)