As tensions escalated in the Middle East two days after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. and Iran are close to ending the war, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to India over Memorial Day weekend in hopes of smoothing over tensions between Washington and New Delhi.
“I wanted to keep this speech short because it’s hot!” Rubio joked during a presser in New Delhi on Saturday. Temperatures crossed 100 degrees during Rubio’s four day trip to this South Asian country.
“I’m from Miami and that is like humid hot but this is something else. What time is it? Shouldn’t it be getting cooler?”
The U.S. foreign secretary’s first official visit to India also comes at a time when relations between the two countries are at a low point for several reasons, including the Trump administration’s tariff policies on all its trading partners and shifting legal immigration laws.
More recently, the war in Iran has hiked gas prices and concerns in India about the possibility of receiving necessary fuel shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for the country’s crude imports.
As Rubio backed America First polices, he also acknowledged the impact a country like India could feel. His visit built some momentum, but is it enough to repair this foreign alliance.
What has Rubio been up to in India?
On Saturday, Rubio met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and talked about the shared values and opportunities.
They discussed the Middle East, where Rubio emphasized the U.S. “will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage.” They also stressed cooperation on trade, energy, defense and maritime security as well as agreed to advance “Mission 500,” a strategic initiative aimed at more than doubling bilateral trade between India and the U.S. to $500 billion by 2030.
Rubio also met his counterparts from India, Australia and Japan — members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance, or the Quad.
Marking the third formal time the Quad alliance has met, Rubio unveiled the four countries will work on a port project in Fiji, an island nation in the South Pacific that China is making a push toward. The Quad also plans to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and develop maritime initiatives.
Trump calls Rubio in India
New Delhi hosted the latest American-themed celebration in India to kick off America’s 250 years of independence.
Aside from a phone call from American dignitaries, like Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, the programming also featured Academy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman performing his famous songs, including Jai Ho from “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Gor’s campaign included dozens of wrapped auto rickshaws in New Delhi with American flags and messages like “Happy Birthday America!” with portraits of Trump, also creating a buzz.
Gor, during his remarks, dialed the president and held the phone close to the microphone.
“I just want to say hello to everybody,” Trump said, earning loud cheers. “I love the prime minister. Modi is great. He’s my friend,” said Trump.
“We’ve never been closer to India, and India can count on me 100% and our country. If they ever need help, they know where to call,” the president said.
Rubio justifies American immigration system in India
Over the weekend, the Trump administration announced changes to the green card application process. Now, applicants seeking permanent residency status will have to leave the U.S. after filing their petition.
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said India understands the nationalistic perspective the U.S. holds.
“The Trump administration has been very forthright in putting forward its foreign policy outlook as America first,” said Jaishankar. “We have a view of India first. So both of us are obviously driven by our respective national interests.”
But Jaishankar communicated New Delhi’s stance on the changing immigration policies in the U.S. that affect Indian migrants.
“While we cooperate to deal with illegal and irregular mobility, our expectation is that legal mobility would not be adversely impacted as a consequence,” he said. “After all, this is very relevant to our business, technology, and research cooperation.”
Rubio hailed the U.S. as “the most welcoming country in the world on immigration,” acknowledging his parents, who immigrated from Cuba in 1956, before defending the immigration reform under Trump. During the press conference on Sunday, Rubio said the Trump White House isn’t targeting India but acknowledged that this South Asian country will feel the consequences of this policy.
“The changes, while they may be having a disproportionate impact on a place like India that provides so many high-skilled workers to the U.S. economy, are not a system that is targeted at India,” he said, adding that it’s a “period of transition.”
“We think ultimately our destination is going to be a better system,” he said.
Rubio responds to anti-India sentiment in U.S.
Rubio also addressed a question related to anti-India racism in India.
“I’ll take that very seriously about the comments,” the foreign secretary said. “Look, I’m sure that there are people that have made comments online and other places, because every country in the world has stupid people.”
“I don’t know what else to tell you other than the United States is a very welcoming country,” Rubio said. “Our nation has been enriched by people who come to our country, have come from our country from all over the world, have become Americans, have assimilated into our way of life, and have contributed greatly.”
His remarks come after Trump reshared a social media post that referred to India as a “hellhole.”
Rubio began his trip in Kolkata where he visited the Missionaries of Charity headquarters, founded by Mother Teresa. He also visited Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, and Jaipur, also known as the “Pink City” famous for its monuments, forts and palaces.