Rubio to visit in May, India may host Quad meet

NEW DELHI: US secretary of state Marco Rubio will visit India next month, said ambassador Sergio Gor after a meeting that Rubio had with visiting Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri. This will be Rubio’s first visit to India since he assumed office after the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. Welcoming Misri to the White House, Gor said that the foreign secretary had a productive meeting with Rubio that focused on the bilateral relationship, especially trade, critical minerals, defense and the Quad. “Secretary Rubio looks forward to visiting India next month!” Gor added in a post on X. While the visit will offer an opportunity for a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation by both sides, diplomatic sources said efforts are on to also schedule a meeting of the Quad foreign ministers around Rubio’s visit. No dates have been finalised yet either for Rubio’s visit or the possible Quad meeting. However, both Japan and Australia are said to be keen on restarting high-level Quad meetings. External affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on Friday and discussed developments in West Asia, including international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Stressing de-escalation, Motegi welcomed the ceasefire and expressed hope that a final agreement will be reached promptly through negotiations between the US and Iran. Gor had earlier announced that an Indian trade delegation will visit the US later this month to resume negotiations for the bilateral trade agreement that India and the US have been discussing. During his ongoing visit to the US, Misri also met deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau and undersecretary of state for political affairs Allison Hooker. "Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri today in Washington. The leaders reaffirmed the close partnership between the two countries and shared news about the situation in the Persian Gulf and other global and regional priorities," said a state department spokesperson. Misri’s visit to the US coincided with the announcement of a ceasefire by the US and Iran on Wednesday. During his engagements, according to reports from Washington, he also discussed the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture, an initiative announced during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington shortly after Trump’s swearing-in in last year. “Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had productive discussions with senior White House officials. He met NSC leadership and exchanged views on issues of mutual strategic interest, including the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture and recent developments in West Asia,” said the Indian embassy in a social media post.