Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held high-level discussions on security, trade and strategic cooperation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also conveyed an invitation from US President Donald Trump for the Prime Minister to visit the White House.
The meeting focused on advancing the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, while also covering key regional and global security issues. The talks assume significance amid shifting geopolitical developments in the Indo-Pacific and mounting tensions in West Asia.
US envoy Sergio Gor, who accompanied Rubio during the meeting, said the leaders discussed expanding cooperation in strategic sectors, including security, trade and critical technologies. He also highlighted the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region, where China has been seeking to increase its influence.
“The United States views India as a vital strategic partner in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Gor said in a post on X, adding that both sides explored ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas that strengthen the interests of both nations.
Prime Minister Modi later shared details of the meeting on X, describing the interaction as productive and reaffirming the commitment of both countries to work together on issues of global importance.
“Happy to receive the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and the United States will continue to work closely for the global good,” Modi posted.
The talks come at a sensitive time internationally, amid reports that President Trump was considering renewed strikes on Iran after peace negotiations reportedly mediated by Pakistan failed to achieve any breakthrough.
Rubio is currently on a multi-day visit to India aimed at strengthening bilateral ties after a period of diplomatic strain between New Delhi and Washington.
The US Secretary of State is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday. He will also attend the US Embassy’s Independence Day celebrations during his visit.
On Monday, Rubio is expected to travel to Agra and Jaipur before returning to Delhi on Tuesday morning for the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the Jaishankar-Rubio talks are likely to focus on expanding cooperation in energy, trade, investment, critical technologies and people-to-people ties. The two sides are also expected to deliberate on the ongoing West Asia crisis and its implications for global energy markets and economic stability.
Rubio’s visit comes more than five weeks after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri travelled to Washington DC for talks aimed at stabilising bilateral relations following months of uncertainty.
India-US ties had recently faced turbulence after the United States imposed punitive tariffs on Indian goods. Additional tensions emerged after President Trump repeatedly claimed that he had played a role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan military conflict last May.
India, however, consistently rejected those assertions, maintaining that the cessation of hostilities was achieved through direct communication between New Delhi and Islamabad without any external mediation by the United States.
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