Rubio arrives in India to repair strained bilateral ties

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday, initiating a high-stakes, four-day tour of India designed to mend strained bilateral relations and bolster regional partnerships. This marks the first visit by a top American diplomat to the eastern metropolis in 14 years.

Rubio's itinerary began with a visit to the Mother House, the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, and its adjacent Children's Home, a stop carrying significant symbolic and cultural weight. The last U.S. Secretary of State to visit Kolkata was Hillary Clinton in May 2012.

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Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defence, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!

The visit is a crucial step in expanding cooperation between Washington and New Delhi across key sectors including trade, technology, defense, and energy security, with a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific strategy. This engagement gains importance amid growing strategic alignment between the two nations, preceding the upcoming QUAD foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi on May 26.

During his trip, Rubio will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior Indian leaders in New Delhi. Discussions are expected to center on strengthening defense partnerships, advancing technology collaboration, boosting trade ties, and cooperation within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) framework. Notably, Rubio previously indicated the U.S. is prepared to supply "as much energy" as India is willing to buy, signaling a significant potential expansion of energy partnerships.

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as much energy