Marco Rubio embarks on 4-day visit to India: ‘Enjoying this important trip’ – what’s on the agenda? | Today’s news
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio embarked on a four-day visit to India on Friday. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor confirmed Rubio’s trip to India, saying: “I just got a call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – he’s flying to India right now! He’s looking forward to this important trip!”
Rubio will arrive in India on Saturday, a day after attending the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden. He will stay in India till May 26.
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“From Sweden, Secretary Rubio will travel to India from May 23 to 26, where he will visit Calcutta, Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi,” an official statement from the US Embassy and Consulates in India said on May 20.
Program of Marco Rubio’s visit to India
Many believe that the purpose of Marco Rubio’s visit to India is to restore relations between the US and India, which have been strained in recent months.
Meanwhile, US embassies and consulates said that during his stay in India, Marco Rubio will discuss energy security, trade and defense cooperation during meetings with senior Indian officials.
According to news agency PTI, besides attending the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Sunday, the top US diplomat is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
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Sources told PTI that the talks between Jaishankar and Rubio are likely to be dominated by ways to strengthen Indo-US ties in energy, trade, investment, critical technology and people-to-people exchanges.
The two sides are also expected to discuss the crisis in West Asia and its economic implications, including energy supplies.
Later, the congregation of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – bringing together India, the United States, Australia and Japan – is concluded on May 26 under the chairmanship of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, ANI reported.
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An official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the strategic meeting will be attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
Apart from his engagements in New Delhi, Rubio is also scheduled to visit Kolkata, Agra and Jaipur.
“There is a possibility that the US Secretary of State will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” sources told PTI.
“There’s a lot to work with India, it’s a great ally and partner. We do a lot of good work with them, so it’s an important trip,” Rubio said Friday of his trip to India.
Indo-American relations
The US Secretary of State’s trip to India comes more than five weeks after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri undertook a three-day visit to Washington DC aimed at stabilizing ties after a period of uncertainty and tension.
Relations between the two countries witnessed a major downturn after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on India and President Donald Trump controversially claimed his role in de-escalating India-Pakistan military clashes last May.
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Over the next few months, the US president repeatedly and publicly claimed that he had resolved the military conflict between the two neighbors and saved millions of lives as he moved toward all-out war.
New Delhi strongly maintained that the cessation of hostilities was the result of talks between India and Pakistan, US involvement had nothing to do with it.
The US’s new immigration policy and its decision to increase the H1B visa fee also contributed to the decline in Indo-US relations. However, both sides have made efforts to mend ties in recent months.
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The two sides soon decided to cement a mutually beneficial trade agreement. On April 14, Trump and Prime Minister Modi had a nearly 40-minute phone conversation.
After the call, Prime Minister Modi said he and Trump reviewed “significant progress” in bilateral relations and that both sides are committed to further strengthening the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership in “all areas”.
Sources told PTI that India and the US will conduct a comprehensive review of their ties during Rubio’s visit and focus on strengthening the overall trajectory of relations.
(With input from agencies)
