US Secretary Of State Marco Rubio Arrives In Kolkata Ahead Of High-Level Talks With PM Modi In Delhi

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday morning for his four-day diplomatic tour to India. The city is marking the opening leg of the visit.

Rubio's Kolkata visit carries considerable political and historical resonance - it ended a 14-year hiatus since an American secretary of state last visited the city. Rubio became the first US secretary of state to set foot in Kolkata since Hillary Clinton visited the city in May 2012.

His visit to the eastern metropolis comes only weeks after West Bengal witnessed a landmark political transition with a BJP-led government assuming office.

Also Read | Marco Rubio embarks on 4-day India visit: 'Excited for this important trip'

In a post on X, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said, "Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister @narendramodi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!"

He will be flying to New Delhi later in the day to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the State Department.

Also Read | Vance rejects talk of Rubio clash after Trump floats possible GOP 'Dream Team' Rubio's Kolkata itinerary

The US Secretary of State will visit Mother House, the headquarters of Saint Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in central Kolkata.

Rubio's India itinerary

Rubio's India itinerary, scheduled from May 23 to 26 and also encompassing Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi, is being viewed as diplomatically significant for his scheduled energy talks with India and the meeting with ministers from the Quad nations.

The Quad meeting is planned for May 26, and it is scheduled to be attended by Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar presiding over it.

'Want to sell India as much energy as they'll buy'

India, which imports more than 80% of its energy needs, is one of the worst-affected countries by the Strait of Hormuz closure. Rubio acknowledged the crisis and said the US will sell India as much energy“as they'll buy”.

"Well, we want to sell them as much energy as they'll buy. And obviously, you've seen I think we're at historic levels of US production, and US export," Rubio told reporters in Miami before he embarked on the trip to Sweden and India.

The President Donald Trump administration wants American energy exports to become a larger part of India's import portfolio, Rubio said.“We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more. We want them to be a bigger part of their portfolio.”

This will also help bridge the trade deficit that has been in India's favour. However, a BBC report citing analysts said it is not logical for India to fill the current shortfall in its imports from the US.

Also Read | Fuel price hiked third time in 10 days: Analysts warn of more hikes ahead

Responding to a question about India being affected by high energy prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio described India as a "great partner" and said he was looking forward to meeting with ministers from the Quad nations.

MENAFN23052026007365015876ID1111156786