Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hailed a “very deep, very broad-based cooperation” as he hosted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New Delhi, who is on his maiden trip to the South Asian country.

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said the US and India have “a comprehensive global strategic partnership” that impacts and influences other regions in the world.

“And that is because we have converging interests on many issues and in many parts of the world,” he said, noting the meeting was taking place in “complicated times.”

Ties had soured over US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which raised duties on Indian exports, as well as his assertions over his role in de-escalating tensions with Pakistan last year.

Rubio said India and the US are “strategic allies (which) is not simply committed to a region.”

Read: Indian premier, top US diplomat discuss deepening bilateral ties in New Delhi meeting

“We had … opportunities to cooperate globally, in the different regions of the world, and that includes potentially … the western hemisphere,” he added.

The trip’s focus is on boosting bilateral ties in various areas, including energy, trade, and defense, according to officials.
Rubio arrived in India early Saturday on a four-day trip, and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also visit the cities of Agra and Jaipur, and participate in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the Quad, on Tuesday.

After his meetings on Saturday, Rubio said India “committed to purchasing $500 billion in US goods over the next five years, focusing on energy, technology, and agriculture.”