US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to visit 4 Indian cities
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit India from May 23 to May 26 as both New Delhi and Washington look to strengthen trade and security cooperation amid growing geopolitical instability.
Rubio will visit four Indian cities, including Kolkata, Jaipur, Agra and New Delhi, for talks on trade, defense, and energy security, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Tuesday.
Finalizing the US-India trade deal is likely to be high on the agenda, along with the Quad security grouping, which includes the US, India, Japan and Australia.
US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed warm ties during Trump's first term, but relations cooled after India was hit last year with some of the highest US tariffs over its oil imports from Russia.
While many of last year's tariffs have been rolled back, diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Washington have grown strained even though both sides maintain that they are key strategic allies.
Rubio will reach India after visiting Sweden for a NATO ministers' meeting, days after Modi visited the country to discuss green energy.
