Rubio delivers invitation to PM from Trump to visit US, says US won’t allow Iran to hold energy market hostage | India News
New Delhi: After a roller-coaster past 12 months, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and extended President Donald Trump’s invitation to visit the US “in the near future”, looking to stabilize US-India ties. As the two sides discussed the situation in West Asia, according to a US readout, Rubio stressed that the US would not allow Iran to hold the global energy market hostage and affirmed that US energy products have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply. Later speaking at a function at the US embassy, Rubio, who will attend the quad foreign ministers’ meeting on Tuesday, also said that India-US relations are “the cornerstone of our vision in the Indo-Pacific region”. The announcement about the invitation was made by US Ambassador Sergio Gore who described Rubio as having “productive” discussions with Modi on ways to deepen US-India cooperation across security, trade, and critical technologies – areas that “strengthen both our countries and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific”. While India is open to the idea of Modi visiting the US, it is learned that the government will wait to hear more from Washington about a possible schedule for the visit. In any event, Modi is likely to visit Florida for the G20 summit to be held in the US in December this year. Officials were tight-lipped about what Trump’s presence in India might mean for an invitation to the long-awaited Quad Summit. Neither the Indian readout nor Modi himself mentioned the invitation. “India is an important partner of the United States,” Gore said in a post on X after the meeting. Rubio said he also discussed efforts to secure energy and supply chains with Modi. According to an Indian readout, Rubio briefed Modi on the US perspective on regional and global issues, including the situation in West Asia. It said Modi reiterated India’s continued support to peace efforts and calls for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. Rubio’s visit comes amid widespread efforts to secure a US-Iran peace deal and threats of imminent American military action if those efforts fail. “Delighted to have the US Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio. We discussed the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and sustainable progress on issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and the US will continue to work closely for the betterment of the world,” Modi said in a post on X. The Indian readout also said Rubio briefed Modi on “sustainable advancement of bilateral cooperation” in a wide range of sectors, including defense, strategic technology, trade and investment, energy security, connectivity, education and people-to-people relations. Rubio began his visit to India from Kolkata in the morning, before arriving in Delhi on time for a scheduled meeting with Modi in the afternoon. He is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday. At the US Embassy function, he recalled that his first assignment as Secretary of State was a meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers. “And we were going to renew it. We wanted to do it here, not only because of our commitment to the working framework, but also as a tangible sign of the important role India plays in the United States and in our posture and our approach to the Indo-Pacific,” Rubio said, adding that the commitment was anchored in the relationship between Modi and Trump. “The connection between the leaders is incredibly important. These are two very serious leaders who focus on the long term, not just the short term. And so, I think that’s important to note, because it’s a key part of the foundation of the relationship between our countries,” Rubio added, highlighting the significance of the $20 billion investment commitment from Indian companies in the United States.
