US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached Kolkata on Saturday (May 23) on his first official visit to India. During this four-day visit, he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and discuss important issues like trade, defence, energy and strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
This visit of Rubio will run from May 23 to May 26 and it is considered very important from the point of view of India-US relations. With his arrival in Kolkata, he has become the first US Secretary of State to visit the city in 14 years. Earlier in the year 2012, the then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had come to Kolkata.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore confirmed Rubio’s arrival in India on social media platform X, saying he would later meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. “Trade, technology, defence, Quad and many other issues will be discussed and progressed in the next few days,” he wrote.
Although the US State Department has not yet released official details of Rubio’s Kolkata program, but according to US Consulate sources, he may also visit the Mother House. The Mother House is the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, which was founded by Mother Teresa. Apart from Kolkata and New Delhi, Rubio is also scheduled to visit Agra and Jaipur. During this time he will participate in various diplomatic and cultural programs.
Rubio’s visit is taking place at a time when the strategic partnership between India and America is continuously strengthening. Especially amid China’s increasing activism in the Indo-Pacific region, discussions are intensifying regarding cooperation among the Quad countries. Before leaving for India, Rubio also made a statement about America’s energy export capacity. “We are willing to sell as much energy as India needs,” he said.
On tensions in the Strait of Hormuz region and questions arising over global energy supply, Rubio described India as a great partner. He said that he is excited about the meeting with the foreign ministers of the Quad group.
In the Quad meeting to be held on 26 May, India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are likely to attend. Issues like regional security, connectivity and strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific will be discussed in the meeting.
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