U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday during his first official trip to India, with both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation in defence and trade as they tried to steady a relationship that has been under strain in recent months.
The talks came amid Washington’s tariffs and its closer engagement with Pakistan and China, while the AP said Rubio’s visit was part of a broader effort to reset ties and came ahead of Quad ministerial talks next week.
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Happy to receive the US Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio.
We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security.
India and the United States will continue to work closely for… pic.twitter.com/CuD0DdDXB7
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2026
Calculations close behind
According to India’s readout of the meeting, Rubio briefed Modi on “sustained progress in bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including defence, strategic technologies, trade and investment, energy security, connectivity, education and people-to-people ties”.
The statement added that the prime minister “reaffirmed India’s consistent support for peace efforts and reiterated the call for peaceful resolution of the conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.”
Modi later wrote on X that he was “happy” to receive the US secretary of state and said the two countries would “continue to work closely for the global good.”
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Create your own… pic.twitter.com/2VCJL4kz5l— ABV (@ABVStudio) May 23, 2026
Energy anxieties enter
Energy security was also a central theme. Reuters reported that Rubio pressed Washington’s case for greater energy exports to India, saying U.S. energy products “have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply.”
His office also said he “emphasized that the United States will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage,” a reference to the turmoil in West Asia that has complicated supply concerns for India. The Strait of Hormuz and the wider regional crisis figured prominently in the discussions.’
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Indo-Pacific courtship gathers fresh ceremony
Rubio also described India as a key strategic partner in Washington’s Indo-Pacific approach. He called India a “cornerstone” of U.S. Indo-Pacific policy and pointed to the “personal relationship” between Modi and President Donald Trump as a foundation for bilateral ties.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor, posting on X, said the two sides had a “productive discussion” on security, trade and critical technologies, and added that India is a “vital partner” to the United States.
Gor also said Rubio handed Modi a personal invitation from Trump for a visit to the White House in the “near future.”Rubio is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday and attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday.
