US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will undertake a four-day visit to India from 23 to 26 May, the State Department announced on Tuesday. Ada Derana, citing PTI, reported that the trip is intended to further cooperation on trade, defence and energy.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Rubio will visit Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi over the four days and discuss energy, security, trade and defence cooperation with senior Indian officials.
Rubio will travel to India from Sweden, where he will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on 22 May.
India is set to host a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in New Delhi on 26 May, with the agenda expected to focus on pressing global challenges, including the fallout of the West Asia crisis. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu are scheduled to attend alongside Rubio, with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar presiding.
The visit comes as the Indian Air Force chief travels to Sri Lanka for the IPKF memorial commemoration and as New Delhi steps up engagement on the Trincomalee oil-pipeline and energy-hub framework. The Quad’s renewed focus on the West Asia conflict carries direct relevance for Sri Lanka’s fuel supply chains running through India and the Gulf.
