Marco Rubio meets PM Modi during India visit, attends Quad Foreign Ministers Summit

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Seva Theerth in New Delhi during his four-day visit to India.

Sources said the meeting between the two leaders lasted for more than an hour and focused on key bilateral and global issues, including strategic cooperation, regional security and energy concerns.

Rubio arrived in India to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ summit and is also scheduled to hold extensive discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Earlier in the day, Rubio began his India visit in Kolkata, where he visited Mother House, the headquarters of Saint Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. He also visited Nirmala Sishu Bhawan, an orphanage run by the organisation, and later toured the Victoria Memorial.

Security arrangements were tightened across Kolkata during the high-profile visit.

Rubio’s India itinerary from May 23 to 26 includes Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi. The visit is being viewed as diplomatically significant amid ongoing tensions in the Persian Gulf region and concerns over global energy supplies.

Speaking before his arrival in India, Rubio described India as a “great partner” and said he looked forward to engaging with leaders from the Quad nations during the summit.

The Quad grouping includes India, the United States, Japan and Australia, and discussions are expected to focus on regional security, maritime cooperation and economic partnerships.