Jaishankar raises US visa issues with Rubio
What's the story
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday raised the issue of difficulties faced by genuine travelers in obtaining United States visas with his United States counterpart Marco Rubio. The two leaders addressed a joint press conference after their bilateral talks at Hyderabad House, New Delhi. This was one of the most significant engagements during Rubio's four-day visit to India.
Bilateral discussions
Jaishankar talks about early trade deal with US
Jaishankar also spoke about the possibility of an early trade deal with the US and regional developments in West Asia during their talks. "We discussed situation in West Asia, Indian subcontinent and East Asia," he said after meeting Rubio. The minister emphasized that India and the US have common interests and challenges, calling these talks substantive and forward-looking.
Strategic partnership
US-India relationship strategic allies: Rubio
Rubio, who is the US Secretary of State, called his first day in India "fantastic." He stressed that the US-India relationship goes beyond being allies to being strategic allies. "The United States and India aren't just allies; we're strategic allies, and that's of critical importance," he said, according to Livemint.
Diplomatic engagement
Visit not about restoring ties, but building on partnership: Rubio
Rubio also clarified that his visit was not about restoring or reinvigorating ties but building on an already strong strategic partnership. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Rubio updated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the growing bilateral cooperation in various sectors. The PMO said Modi reaffirmed India's support for peace efforts in West Asia and requested Rubio to convey his greetings to President Donald Trump.
Invitation extended
Trump invites Modi to visit White House soon
One major announcement from the visit was US Ambassador Sergio Gor's post on X, extending an invitation from President Donald Trump for Modi to visit the White House soon. Gor called the talks a "productive discussion on ways to deepen US-India cooperation across security, trade, and critical technologies." Rubio's itinerary includes Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi between May 23 and 26.
Upcoming meeting
Quad foreign ministers' meeting on May 26 in New Delhi
New Delhi will host the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting on May 26, with Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi joining Rubio for multilateral talks. Before arriving in India, Rubio had said Washington was looking to expand energy cooperation with New Delhi and enhance coordination through the Quad framework. The Ministry of External Affairs said this visit would further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.