NEW DELHI
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed deepening bilateral ties in the national capital New Delhi on Saturday.
Rubio arrived in India early Saturday for his four-day trip to the South Asian nation.
Modi said he was happy to receive Rubio. “We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security,” Modi said through US social media company X.
He said India and the US will continue to work “closely for the global good.”
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who also joined the meeting, said they had “a productive discussion on ways to deepen U.S.-India cooperation across security, trade, and critical technologies – areas that strengthen both our nations and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Gor added: “India is a vital partner to the United States!”
In another post, Gor said Rubio extended an invitation, on behalf of US President Donald Trump, for Modi to visit the White House in the “near future.”
Discussion on Middle East
A statement issued by Modi’s office said Rubio briefed the Indian prime minister on the “sustained progress” in bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors, including defense and strategic technologies.
Rubio shared the US “perspective” on various regional and global issues, including the situation in the Middle East, it added.
Earlier in the day, after landing in the city of Kolkata, Rubio visited the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa.
Rubio wrote on X that Mother Teresa left a “tremendous 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 said.
It is Rubio’s first trip to India, which will also include stops in the cities of Agra and Jaipur.
The top US diplomat is scheduled to hold talks with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on Sunday and participate in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the Quad, next week.
The Quad, a partnership among the US, Australia, India, and Japan, was formed in 2007. The last Quad leaders summit was held in the US in 2024.
A US State Department statement ahead of the visit said the secretary will discuss “energy security, trade, and defense cooperation during meetings with senior Indian officials.”
In February, India and the US reached a framework for an interim agreement on trade to lower tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%, half of which were linked to India’s buying of Russian oil.
