US secretary of state Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday ahead of a meeting next week with his counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance known as the Quad.
Mr Rubio's first official trip to India comes as Washington seeks to stabilise relations with Delhi after ties soured over president Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which raised duties on several Indian exports.
Much of Mr Rubio’s four-day visit, however, will focus on a multi-city tour, along with a gala reception in Delhi marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.
“There’s a lot to work on with India, they’re a great ally and partner. We do a lot of good work with them so this is an important trip,” Mr Rubio said ahead of his visit to India.
He arrived in the eastern city of Kolkata early on Saturday, where he is later scheduled to visit Mother House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa. In the coming days, he will also visit northern cities of Agra and Jaipur, known for iconic monuments and palaces, including the Taj Mahal.
Sergio Gor, the US ambassador in India, in a social media post said Mr Rubio will call on prime minister Narendra Modi later on Saturday in Delhi.
“Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!” he said.
He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with India’s external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on Sunday.
On Tuesday in Delhi, Mr Rubio will participate in the ministerial meeting of the Quad that has repeatedly accused China of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims.
Beijing maintains that its military is purely defensive to protect what it says are its sovereign rights and calls the Quad an attempt to contain its economic growth and influence.
After his inauguration in January last year, Mr Rubio’s first formal international engagement was meeting with the foreign ministers of the other Quad countries, both jointly and in separate sessions.