United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, with both sides discussing ways to deepen cooperation in trade, security and critical technologies amid growing strategic convergence between the two countries as Washington described India as a “vital partner” in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and US Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker were also present during the meeting.
Rubio, who arrived in the national capital after a brief visit to Kolkata, also extended an invitation to Modi on behalf of US President Donald Trump to visit the United States in the near future.
Describing the discussions as “productive”, Ambassador Gor said India and the United States continued to advance cooperation across multiple sectors while working towards a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.
“India is a vital partner to the United States,” Gor said in a post on X after the meeting.
According to the US envoy, the discussions focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in security, trade and critical technologies — sectors viewed as central to strengthening strategic ties between New Delhi and Washington.
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs said Rubio’s visit would further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Rubio arrived in New Delhi on Saturday accompanied by his wife Jeanette D Rubio, Ambassador Gor and US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel.
Also read: US Secretary of State Rubio arrives in India for his 4-day visit
On Sunday, Rubio is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Jaishankar and attend the US Embassy's Independence Day celebrations. The Secretary of State will travel to Agra and Jaipur on Monday before returning to Delhi on Tuesday morning for the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The four-day visit is aimed at recalibrating the bilateral relations that have faced headwinds since mid-last year.
Before arriving in the national capital, Rubio visited Kolkata, where he paid tribute to Mother Teresa at the Missionaries of Charity.
Sharing photographs from the visit on X, Rubio praised Mother Teresa’s “legacy of compassion and service”.
“I was honored to visit the Missionaries of Charity today to pay homage to her legacy and to see the living example of the Catholic faith in action,” he wrote.
Rubio’s Kolkata visit marked the first trip by a top American diplomat to the eastern metropolis in nearly 14 years.
The US Secretary of State's is expected to travel to multiple cities, including Agra and Jaipur, during the trip. The high-level engagements are expected to focus on trade, advanced technology, defence cooperation and energy security.
The visit also comes ahead of the upcoming Quadrilateral Security Dialogue foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on May 26.
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