US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Kolkata for key India tour

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday to begin his four-day diplomatic visit to India, marking the start of a tour expected to focus on energy cooperation, defence, technology and Quad discussions.

The visit also carries political significance as it comes weeks after West Bengal witnessed a major political shift with a BJP-led government taking office.

Rubio’s arrival in Kolkata ended a 14-year gap since an American secretary of state last visited the city. He became the first US secretary of state to visit Kolkata since Hillary Clinton travelled to the city in May 2012.

In a post on X, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said, “Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister @narendramodi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!”

While the US Department of State had not officially released Rubio’s Kolkata schedule, sources in the US Consulate said he is likely to visit Mother House, the headquarters of Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa in central Kolkata.

Rubio’s India visit, scheduled from May 23 to 26, also includes stops in New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

The visit is being viewed as diplomatically significant due to planned discussions on energy cooperation and the upcoming Quad meeting involving India, the United States, Japan and Australia.

Speaking to reporters in Miami before leaving for Sweden and India, Rubio said, “Well, we want to sell them as much energy as they’ll buy. And obviously, you’ve seen I think we’re at historic levels of US production, and US export.”

Responding to a question on India facing pressure from high energy prices linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio described India as a “great partner” and said he was looking forward to meeting ministers from the Quad nations.

The Quad meeting is scheduled for May 26 and is expected to be attended by Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to preside over the meeting.