As the world awaits the next big development in theUS-Iranwar, with multiple reports speculating that a breakthrough in peace talks is likely to be announced soon, another big geopolitical event is taking place, i.e. the visit of Secretary of State -Marco Rubioto India. The Secretary of State who is also the National Security Adviser and can be touted asDonald Trump’s shadow, is arriving in India for a 4-day visit, beginning Saturday, May 23, to May 26. This would be Rubio’s first official visit to the country, under Trump’s second term in theWhite Houseas President.
As a lot of build-up is taking place ahead of Rubio’s visit, sectors including Energy, Cooperation, Trade, and Strategic Security are going to be the centre for talks.
Rubio is visiting India after hectic meetings in Sweden with NATO allies and the foreign ministers group, where he discussed a possible realignment of the strategic security alliance. He also made comments about the US-Iran war, saying there was "slight progress" during talks amid uncertainty about whether a deal will be reached or war will resume.
Rubio’s India arrival is taking place at a time when New Delhi-Washington ties are going through a delicate phase, due to the India-US trade deal (announced but final outcomes are still awaited), the bitterness in ties that aroused after Trump’s tariffs on Indian goods exports to the US last year, Washington’s objecting to India buying Russian oil, and provocative statements by Trump officials from time to time since 2025, that kept relations between the two nations on edge.
However, the US has rightly tried to balance the optics with President Trump calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times over the past year, discussing global events, including the Russia-Ukraine war, US-Iran war, trade, energy security, the Strait of Hormuz, among other issues.
Overall, over the past year, US-India ties were marked by growing economic engagement amid friction over tariffs and Trump’s transactional foreign policy.
Breaking the pattern, Marco Rubio will start his India visit from Kolkata instead of New Delhi. But why Kolkata? It’s because the city is the first which houses US' first and its second oldest consulate in the world, set up back in 1792.
After flagging off his visit from Kolkata, Rubio will also travel to Agra, Jaipur, and later New Delhi.
Marco Rubio will hold crucial talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and later participate in the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting along with other members Japan and Australia.
Secretary of State India visit is also being viewed with respect to whether it’s an attempt by Washington to reaffirm its strategic ties with India, at a time when India — ever since Trump’s tariffs — diversified its trade portfolios by partnering and announcing trade deals with Europe, New Zealand, among others.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
