New Delhi | Relations between India and the US have not lost momentum, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday after holding high-level talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Rubio, who is currently in New Delhi, said, “India-US relations have not lost momentum … India-US relations will come out much stronger in the coming years.”

He further said the US hopes that the long-pending trade deal between the two countries will be sealed soon, adding that both sides are “strategically aligned” on almost all key global issues.

After the meeting, which included deliberations on the West Asia conflict, Jaishankar said that India is for “unimpeded” maritime commerce.

“We discussed the situation in West Asia, Indian subcontinent and East Asia,” Jaishankar said.

The foreign minister further said that he discussed civil nuclear cooperation with his American counterpart, adding: “Secretary Rubio and I welcomed recent cooperation between India and the US in the energy sector.”