Rubio Arrives in Kolkata for First India Visit, QUAD Meeting in Focus

Kolkata: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday, marking his first official visit to India. His visit comes ahead of the crucial QUAD foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled in New Delhi on May 26.

Rubio began his visit by touring the Missionaries of Charity, including Nirmala Shishu Bhavan and the Mother House, founded by Mother Teresa. He was accompanied by his wife Jeanette Rubio.

This is the first visit by a US Secretary of State to Kolkata in 14 years, with the last being Hillary Clinton in 2012.

During his four-day India visit, Rubio is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior leaders to discuss key areas including trade, defence, technology and energy cooperation.

The visit gains importance as it precedes the QUAD meeting, where leaders from the US, India, Australia and Japan will focus on Indo-Pacific strategy and regional security. India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will chair the meeting.

Ahead of his arrival, Rubio highlighted that the United States is ready to significantly boost energy exports to India, calling India a “great partner” amid global economic and geopolitical challenges.

The discussions are expected to strengthen bilateral ties and advance cooperation under the QUAD framework for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”