US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to India from May 23-26, a spokesperson said in a press release on Tuesday. During his visit to India he will visit Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi. This will be his first visit to India and he is expected to discuss energy security, trade, and defense cooperation during meetings with senior Indian officials.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor had earlier indicated that Rubio would arrive in New Delhi over the weekend. The visit is expected to anchor key multilateral dialogues and further solidify the strategic partnership between the two countries.
According to media reports, a primary focus of the visit is to participate in a ministerial-level Quad meeting, which is proposed to be hosted by India.
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Before he visits India he will be travelling to Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 22 to attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting where he will discuss the need for increased defense investment and greater burden sharing in the Alliance.
During his visit to Sweden he will meet his counterparts from the Arctic Seven nations to discuss our shared economic and security interests in the Arctic and our strengthened posture in the High North. He will also have bilateral meetings with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Last week India had hosted foreign ministers of the BRICS grouping, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov among those who attended.
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