US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to India “very soon,” Ambassador Sergio Gor told CNN-News18. Gor said this trip will be a major step in strengthening the growing relationship between Washington and New Delhi. “This visit will be part of the Quad as well as other initiatives,” Gor explained.
Gor also said a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will happen at the right time. Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Gor said, “Stay tuned, I’m sure it’ll happen at the right moment.”
The two leaders last met during an official visit in Washington DC on February 13 last year. “It’s been a very impactful summit,” Gor said, fresh from the opening sessions of the AI summit. “We have a lot of opportunities between our two nations. We look forward to engaging with that.”
Trump’s India visit also on the table
Ambassador Gor also mentioned the possibility of US President Donald Trump visiting India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already extended an invitation, which Gor said was warmly received. “The President would love to visit India soon,” he said.
Marco Rubio’s India visit coming soon- Quad momentum remains strong
The announcement comes after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking at the Munich Security Conference last week, addressed concerns that the Quad had lost momentum. “The fact that the Quad did not take place at the summit level itself, I wouldn’t overread it,” Jaishankar said. “So do stay tuned.”
On Quad, Gor said, “The Quad is very important. The first meeting that Secretary Rubio had right after was with the Quad. And that sends a message to the world. He didn’t meet with anyone else. It was the Quad. So that’s something we’re fully engaged on. We’re actively in talks. I don’t have exact dates, but Secretary Rubio will be travelling to India very soon, in a matter of months. And so that’ll be part of the Quad, along with many other initiatives.”
On the economic front, Ambassador Gor seemed upbeat about the long-awaited bilateral trade agreement. He said India and the US have agreed on a framework to reduce tariffs on Indian exports. The bigger goal is to create a comprehensive deal that will expand market access and strengthen economic ties between the two largest democracies. Gor suggested that the signing of this trade deal could happen soon.