What’s on the Agenda for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Upcoming Visit to India?

Marco Rubio's Upcoming Visit to New Delhi

Washington: The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is scheduled to travel to New Delhi next month, following a fruitful discussion with India's Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, regarding various topics such as trade and the Quad alliance.

During Misri's three-day visit to Washington, he met with Rubio at the White House, where they evaluated the bilateral ties, focusing on trade, critical minerals, defense, and the Quad.

US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, who attended the meeting, shared on X, "Welcome to the White House @VikramMisri! Productive meeting with @SecRubio that focused on our bilateral relationship, especially trade, critical minerals, defence and the Quad."

Gor also mentioned that Secretary Rubio is eager to visit India next month.

Earlier, Misri had separate discussions with US Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker.

According to a statement from Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesman for the Department of State, "Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri today in Washington. The leaders reaffirmed the close partnership between the two countries and shared news about the situation in the Persian Gulf and other global and regional priorities."

Hooker noted that she and Misri explored avenues for closer collaboration between India and the US in areas such as security, defense, and economic growth.

"We are finding practical ways to make both Americans and Indians safer and more prosperous, including through the Quad," she stated.

The Indian embassy in the US reported that Hooker and Misri reviewed the India-US bilateral agenda since the last Foreign Office Consultations held in December.

The two diplomats also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and other regional matters of shared interest.

In related news, US Vice President J D Vance is leading a delegation to Islamabad for discussions with Iranian leaders following a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan.