US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is en route to India for a high-profile diplomatic visit, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor confirmed on May 22. Gor said he spoke with Rubio by phone and shared the update on X, expressing enthusiasm for the trip.
Rubio arrives in New Delhi fresh from a NATO foreign ministers meeting and bilateral security and economic talks in Helsingborg, Sweden. According to Gor’s post, Rubio departed immediately for India to begin a four-day tour focused on expanding strategic and economic ties.
Prior to leaving for Sweden and India, Rubio told reporters in Miami that Washington is eager to scale up energy cooperation with New Delhi. He said the United States is prepared to supply “as much energy” as India wishes to buy, citing record U.S. oil and gas production and ongoing high-level talks with Indian officials to boost energy exports. Rubio also alluded to possible arrangements involving Venezuelan crude as part of broader energy engagement.
Rubio’s official itinerary runs from May 23 to 26 and includes stops in Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi. His meetings are expected to concentrate on trade, energy security and defence cooperation, reflecting a push to deepen bilateral ties amid global fuel-price volatility and maritime security concerns tied to recent instability near the Strait of Hormuz.
The trip will also include participation in the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting on May 26, hosted by India. New Delhi is chairing the Quad session, which will gather foreign ministers from the United States, Australia and Japan to discuss Indo-Pacific security and rising tensions in West Asia. India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Rubio will join Australia’s Penny Wong and Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi for the discussions.
While in New Delhi, Rubio is expected to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hold bilateral meetings with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The MEA said the ministers will build on talks held in Washington on July 1, 2025, reviewing progress on Quad initiatives and coordinating on regional developments and other shared concerns.
The Quad grouping—India, the United States, Australia and Japan—has been strengthening cooperation on freedom of navigation, maritime security and regional stability. Officials say the foreign ministers’ meeting will help shape operational synergies and inform the policy framework ahead of a planned Quad leaders’ summit that India is expected to host later this year.
Rubio’s visit underscores Washington’s intent to anchor deeper economic and security ties with India as both countries navigate an increasingly complex strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)
