Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: US secretary of state Marco Rubio will visit India next month, said ambassador Sergio Gor after a meeting that Rubio had with visiting Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri. This will be Rubio’s first visit to India since he assumed office after the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. Welcoming Misri to the White House, Gor said that the foreign secretary had a productive meeting with Rubio that focused on the bilateral relationship, especially trade, critical minerals, defence and the Quad. “Secretary Rubio looks forward to visiting India next month!” Gor added in a post on X. While the visit will offer an opportunity for a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation by both sides, diplomatic sources said efforts are on to also schedule a meeting of the Quad foreign ministers around Rubio’s visit. No dates have been finalised yet either for Rubio’s visit or the possible Quad meeting. However, both Japan and Australia are said to be keen on restarting high-level Quad meetings. External affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on Friday and discussed developments in West Asia, including international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Stressing de-escalation, Motegi welcomed the ceasefire and expressed hope that a final agreement will be reached promptly through negotiations between the US and Iran. Gor had earlier announced an Indian trade delegation will visit the US later this month to resume negotiations for the bilateral trade agreement. Misri also met deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau and undersecretary of state for political affairs Allison Hooker.
