Modi, Rubio discuss bilateral ties, West Asia crisis; Trump invites PM to White House

Looking to repair strained ties, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday said the US relationship with India is “incredibly important” and promised “more exciting and new announcements” in the coming months to strengthen ties.

Rubio was speaking at the opening of a new annex building at the US Embassy here this afternoon, and said the US-India relationship is the “cornerstone” of the US approach to the Indo-Pacific. “The relationship with India is an incredibly important one, and it's the reason why I’m here on this visit — to reaffirm those ties and build upon them.”

“In the months ahead, we’re going to have even more exciting and new announcements about the development and the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries,” Rubio added. He was speaking at the embassy shortly before calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for more than an hour. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were present at the meeting.

India and the US will continue to work closely for the global good, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, after Rubio briefed him on the West Asia crisis and bilateral cooperation in defence, strategic technologies, trade and energy security.

Rubio, who met Modi shortly after landing in New Delhi, invited the Prime Minister on behalf of President Donald Trump to visit the White House in the “near future”, according to US Ambassador Sergio Gor.

The US Secretary of State’s four-day India trip is largely seen as an attempt to recalibrate bilateral relations that have faced headwinds since mid-last year.

After the meeting, Modi posted on X: “Happy to receive the US Secretary of State, Mr Marco Rubio. We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and the United States will continue to work closely for the global good.”

At the meeting, Rubio reportedly pitched supplying crude oil from the US New Delhi is facing an energy crisis after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and on-and-off sanctions on purchasing Russian crude. Rubio arrived in India the same day state-owned oil marketing firms raised fuel prices for the third time since May 15 to offset losses from buying costly fuel and selling it cheaper to consumers.

Rubio had arrived in Kolkata on Saturday morning and visited Missionaries of Charity, the organisation once run by Mother Teresa. Its licence to receive donations under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) was first revoked and then restored in 2022.

On the Quad meeting scheduled for May 26, Rubio said, “We wanted to do it here, not just because of our commitment to that structure, but as a tangible sign of what an important role India plays for the United States and in our posture and approach to the Indo-Pacific.”

He added that the relationship between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi anchors the partnership. “It’s a personal relationship. The connection between them, and I think that’s incredibly important.”

He described Trump and Modi as “two very serious leaders who are focused not just on the short term, but on the long term, and so I think that is important to note because it’s a key part of the foundation of the relationship between our countries.”

“And in just the past year, we’ve seen this partnership deepen in ways that don't often make headlines or are not high-profile, but are important, real, tangible, and enduring,” Rubio said, adding that commercial ties have been expanded. “There have been USD 20 billion in investments from Indian companies in the United States. We’ve deepened the security partnership through military exercises in the Indo-Pacific.”

US Ambassador Sergio Gor added, “The relationship is on solid footing. There is incredible potential ahead.”

US State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, referring to Rubio’s meeting with Modi, said the Secretary of State underscored the strategic importance of the US-India partnership, the strong personal ties between the US President and Prime Minister Modi, as well as the profound economic and commercial opportunities for the two sides.

“The Secretary and the Prime Minister discussed the current situation in the Middle East. The Secretary emphasised that the US will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage and affirmed that US energy products have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply,” Pigott said.

Modi and Rubio also reflected upon bilateral achievements including significant investments that advance the President and the Prime Minister’s “Mission 500” to double trade by 2030, he said.

According to an Indian readout, Rubio briefed PM Modi on the “sustained progress in bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including defence, strategic technologies, trade and investment, energy security, connectivity, education and people-to-people ties”.

The US Secretary of State shared the US perspective on various regional and global issues, including the situation in West Asia, it said.

PM Modi reaffirmed India’s consistent support for peace efforts and reiterated the call for peaceful resolution of the conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, it said.

The readout from the Prime Minister’s Office said Modi requested Secretary Rubio to convey his warm greetings to President Trump and said that he looked forward to their continued exchanges.

Pigott said the Secretary of State shared his appreciation for India hosting the upcoming Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and looked forward to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region alongside Australia, India, and Japan.

US Ambassador Gor, who was also part of the Rubio-led delegation, described the meeting with PM Modi as “productive”.

“We had a productive discussion on ways to deepen US-India cooperation across security, trade, and critical technologies — areas that strengthen both our nations and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific. India is a vital partner to the United States!” he said on X.

On Sunday, Rubio is scheduled for bilateral talks with Jaishankar. The Secretary of State will travel to Agra and Jaipur on Monday before returning to Delhi on Tuesday morning for the Quad foreign ministers meeting.

Rubio’s trip to India comes over five weeks after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri undertook a three-day visit to Washington DC that focused on stabilising the ties after a spell of uncertainty and strain.

The relations between the two countries witnessed a major downturn after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on India and President Trump made controversial assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan military clashes last May.

Over the next few months, the US president repeatedly and publicly claimed that he had resolved the military conflict between the two neighbours and saved millions of lives as it was heading toward a full-scale war.

New Delhi stoutly maintained that the cessation of the hostilities was a result of talks between India and Pakistan, and the US involvement had nothing to do with it.

However, both sides made efforts in the last few months to repair the ties.

The two sides have resolved to firm up a mutually beneficial trade deal soon. (With PTI)