US Secretary of State Begins Diplomatic Engagements in Kolkata and Delhi

Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Friday on a four-day official visit to India, marking his first visit to the country as the US Secretary of State. The visit is being viewed as an important step toward strengthening strategic and bilateral ties between India and the United States.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor received Rubio at the airport. According to the US Department of State, Rubio is scheduled to visit Mother House, the headquarters of Saint Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, along with the Children’s Home in Kolkata.

Later in the day, Rubio will travel to New Delhi for meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior Indian leaders. Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in defence, advanced technologies, trade relations, energy security, and Indo-Pacific strategy.

On Saturday, Rubio is scheduled to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and participate in the US Embassy’s Independence Day celebrations in the national capital.

The US Secretary of State will also visit Agra and Jaipur before returning to New Delhi for the upcoming Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

The meeting will also be attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at the invitation of Dr Jaishankar.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the QUAD discussions will review progress on ongoing initiatives and address regional and global issues aligned with the grouping’s vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Before departing for India, Rubio described India as a “great ally and partner” and said there remains significant scope for cooperation between the two countries.