US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday sought to reassure India over concerns surrounding racist comments against Indians and Indian Americans in the United States, saying every country has “stupid people” who make offensive remarks online.
Addressing a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, Rubio described India-US ties as a “strategic alliance” between two globally influential nations and dismissed suggestions that bilateral relations had lost momentum.
Responding to a question about racist comments directed at Indians in the US, Rubio said America remained an open and welcoming society despite isolated incidents of hate speech and online abuse.
“I’m sure there are stupid people in the United States that make dumb comments all the time,” Rubio said, adding that such remarks should not define the country’s broader values or its treatment of immigrants and minorities.
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Rubio calls India a key global power
According to The Indian Express, during the interaction, Rubio repeatedly underlined India’s growing strategic importance on the global stage. He said only a handful of countries possess both the economic strength and diplomatic influence to shape global events, and India is among them.
He described the India-US relationship as one built on shared strategic interests and expanding cooperation in defence, trade, energy and technology.
Jaishankar, while avoiding the term “alliance,” referred to the relationship as a strategic partnership based on converging national interests. He said discussions between the two sides covered defence cooperation, critical minerals, nuclear energy and ongoing trade negotiations.
Both countries also discussed renewing their 10-year major defence partnership framework and strengthening maritime and underwater domain awareness cooperation.
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US says visa changes are global, not India-specific
According to The Indian Express, Rubio also addressed concerns over tighter US visa and immigration policies affecting Indian students and professionals. He clarified that the ongoing overhaul of America’s migration system was not aimed specifically at India but was part of a broader global reform effort.
He acknowledged the contribution of Indians to the US economy and said Washington was attempting to modernise an immigration system strained by years of illegal migration challenges.
Rubio said the changes were intended to create a more sustainable and efficient immigration structure that benefits both the United States and legal migrants.
Jaishankar, meanwhile, reiterated India’s expectation that legal mobility should not suffer because of efforts to tackle illegal immigration.
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Rubio dismisses concerns over Pakistan ties
According to The Indian Express, the US Secretary of State also responded to questions regarding Washington’s engagement with Pakistan’s military leadership. Rubio said maintaining relations with multiple countries was a normal aspect of international diplomacy and should not be interpreted as coming at the expense of America’s partnership with India.
He insisted the India-US relationship remained strong and predicted it would become even stronger by the end of the current US administration.
Rubio also touched upon geopolitical tensions in West Asia, warning against any attempt to disrupt international waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as a critical global trade route protected under international law.
