US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits India amid strained ties

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on Saturday, kick-starting his four-day visit to the South Asian nation.

This is Rubio’s first official trip to India since becoming Washington’s top diplomat.

Rubio was welcomed by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor at the city airport.

In Kolkata, Rubio visited Mother House, the headquarters of Saint Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. He then departed for the capital New Delhi, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other high-ranking officials, including Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

The trip comes amid strained bilateral ties over the Trump administration’s tariff policies, which raised duties on some Indian goods, Washington’s growing friendship with New Delhi’s archrival Pakistan and the energy crisis sparked by the Iran war.

But much of Rubio’s four-day visit will focus on a multi-city tour, along with a gala reception in New Delhi marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.

“There’s a lot to work on with India, they’re a great ally and partner. We do a lot of good work with them so this is an important trip,” Rubio said ahead of his visit.

On his last day in India, Rubio will hold talks with his counterparts from the Quad grouping — an Indo-Pacific strategic alliance which includes India, the US, Japan and Australia that is seen as a counterweight to China’s growing economic and military might.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in India for a four-day visit as ties between the two countries remain strained over a host of issues, including US tariffs on Indian goods and the energy crisis caused by the Iran war.

Meanwhile, the US government announced a new rule requiring foreigners to leave the US and apply for a green card from their home countries — a policy that could impact many Indian nationals currently residing in the US who want to change their visa status.

We have all of this and much more coming up. Stay tuned.