US Secretary Of State Marco Rubio To Visit India For Quad, Defence Talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India from May 23 to 26 for a series of high-level diplomatic meetings expected to focus on the Quad Partnership, Defence Cooperation, Energy Security and Trade Relations amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.

According to the US State Department, Rubio will travel to Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi during his visit.

Before arriving in India, Rubio will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Sweden on May 22.

During his India visit, Rubio will discuss Energy Security, Defence & Trade with senior Indian leaders and is also expected to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

The visit comes as India and the United States continue expanding cooperation on Regional Security and Economic Issues.

Experts expect discussions to focus on maritime security, the Strait of Hormuz and Indo-Pacific stability.

Speaking to IANS, Mukesh Aghi stressed the need to strengthen the Quad framework amid Middle East tensions. He said India and the US would likely discuss regional security challenges and recent diplomatic developments involving China and their impact on Indian interests.

Aghi described Rubio’s visit as coming at an ‘appropriate time’ and said both countries would address issues related to Defence, Trade & Strategic Cooperation.

Before arriving in India, Rubio will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Sweden, where leaders will discuss increasing Defence investment and strengthening burden-sharing within the alliance. He will also meet representatives of the Arctic Seven nations to discuss economic and security interests in the Arctic region and the evolving strategic posture in the High North.

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