Ahead Of Key Meeting With PM Modi In Delhi, US Secretary Of State Marco Rubio Lands In Kolkata

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:06]All right, we are starting with a breaking input that we are getting at this point. US Secretary of State and National Security [music] Advisor Marco Rubio is set to land in Kolkata shortly on his first visit to India since taking charge as America's top diplomat. And now in this trip that will continue [music] as a strategic diplomacy symbolism and preparations for the upcoming quad foreign ministers meeting in [music] the national capital. And Rubio is arriving in Kolkata as we speak before heading >> [music] >> to the national capital later in the day for a packed diplomatic schedule including a meeting with Minister Narendra Modi at 2:00 p.m.

[00:00:46]His Kolkata stop is being viewed as highly significant. The US Consulate is in the city was in in the city was the first American diplomatic outpost not only in India but in all of Asia established in the late 18th century. It also remains one of the oldest American diplomatic missions anywhere in the world. And the visit comes in the year marking the 250th anniversary of USA's independence adding symbolic weight to Rubio's decision to begin his India visit in Kolkata.

[00:01:23]And the big breaking news is that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is the post of the US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. Mr. Mr. Gor is confirming the same. This is his first trip to India.

[00:01:40]Marco Rubio's first trip to India as the Secretary of State. Later today Sergio Gor is also confirming that we will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. So Mr. Marco Rubio as well as Sergio Gor will be together calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and we believe this was this particular meeting is around 2:00 p.m. today in Delhi after Mr. Sergio Gor and Mr. Marco Rubio complete their Kolkata trip and then they land in Delhi around 1:00 p.m.

[00:02:09]What is on the agenda? Here clearly Sergio Gor putting that out. Trade is a big agenda. We all know that the you know the bilateral trade treaty between the both the countries has been work in progress. So, trade is top on the agenda, technology, defense, Quad. This is the Quad foreign ministers meeting.

[00:02:27]For all the foreign ministers of all the four countries are going to be here on Tuesday when they have a Quad foreign ministers meeting. So, Quad is one of the big agenda and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days. So, very important statement coming here from the US ambassador laying out setting the tone for Marco Rubio's visit to India and I have in fact our foreign affairs correspondent and who looks very closely at foreign affairs Siddhant with me.

[00:02:54]Siddhant big statements by Sergio Gor.

[00:02:56]Marco Rubio has landed in India. What do you think he said trade is top on the agenda? Well, of course Aman it's a it's a very very important visit of uh Secretary of State Marco Rubio to India.

[00:03:05]It's his first visit and in fact uh this visit it is taking place at a time when there has been enough reset uh done in in the relationship. Uh last year uh the relationship was going through rough patch. But despite that uh you know, whether it's uh 10-year framework on defense or whether it's uh you know, joining back silica, uh trade deal announcement, perhaps there has been enough work also being done on the relationship. Now, this is Marco Rubio's first visit. Marco Rubio is not only uh not only the Secretary of State, but he's also national security advisor and top advisor to President uh Trump. So, uh he's visiting India. He'll be visiting four Indian uh cities and in fact there's is going to be the Quad meeting taking place on uh 26th May. So, high stakes visit of Marco Rubio. Aman, in fact, today he will also be calling on Prime Minister Modi. And it's a quite an expensive visit, four-day visit. You know, he's going to Kolkata, he's coming to Delhi, he's going to Jaipur and Agra as well. He's meeting the Prime Minister, there's a quad foreign ministers meeting. Clearly, the relationship between both the countries is seeming back on track, isn't it?

[00:04:14]Well, of course, it's a very, very important relationship and in you know, there have been much criticism also about India getting lost in America's strategic calculus, so on and so forth. Is India is America not worried about Indo-Pacific anymore? So, those kinds of things were said, but the fact is that this visit shows the important importance United States States attaches to this relationship, Aman. And and Secretary of State, as I said, is a top advisor to President Trump. Uh Uh Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and in fact, somebody who also understands a president's priorities and this the traditional strategic you know, viewpoint of of of the United States.