Washington DC/IBNS: In a surprising praise for New Delhi amid tariff war, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said India is one of the top relationships his country has in the present world.

Rubio made the remark during the Senate confirmation hearing for US ambassador-designate to India, Sergio Gor.

Rubio said, "Sergio Gor is the nominee to India (as US Ambassador), which is one of the top relationships that the US has in the world today, in terms of the future of what the world's going to look like. I said it earlier when I held the position as a nominee...

"In the 21st century, the story is going to be written in the Indo-Pacific. It's so important that we have changed the name of the combatant command in the Indo-Pacific. India is at the core of that."

"We've got some really important issues coming up that we need to work with them on and work through that implicates what's happening from Ukraine, but also implicates what's happening in the region," he added.

The remarks came days after US President Donald Trump reached out to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the trade issues and ongoing tariff war.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said: "I am pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations."

"I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!"

Responding to Trump's outreach, Modi said, "India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership.

"Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people."

US-India tariff war

The Trump administration, which was earlier viewed as India-friendly, has slapped a 25 percent tariff on the South Asian country for its high tariffs on American exports and another 25 percent for purchasing oil from Russia which is fighting a war against Ukraine.

Since the conflict in Ukraine began in early 2022, India significantly increased its imports of discounted Russian crude oil—now comprising over 30 percent of its total crude imports.

Indian refineries then export refined petroleum products globally which critics, especially in the U.S., argue that indirectly supports Russia’s war effort by funneling money into its economy.

In response, the US proposed tariffs and trade measures targeting India’s exports to discourage this behavior.

India said that, like any major economy, it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.

Modi unequivocally said India won't compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen and livestock rearers.