US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Kolkata today on a four-day visit to India. This will be his maiden visit to the country. During his stay in Kolkata, Mr Rubio is expected to pay respects at Mother Teresa’s cemetery. He is also likely to visit Victoria Memorial.
Later, the US Secretary of State will arrive in New Delhi and call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tomorrow, Mr Rubio will hold talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in the national capital. He will also attend the US Embassy’s Independence Day celebrations.
On Monday, Mr Rubio is scheduled to visit Agra and Jaipur before returning to New Delhi to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday, hosted by India. Besides the US Secretary of State, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will also participate in the meeting at the invitation of Dr Jaishankar.
The External Affairs Ministry said the meeting, in line with the Quad’s vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, will review progress on ongoing initiatives and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Talking to the media in Miami prior to his departure for India, Mr Rubio described India as a great ally and partner, saying there is a lot to work on together.
