The US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio in India to Revitalize Relations Tested by Trump

Marco Rubio is also participating in a meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers, which includes Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, with the goal of countering China’s presence in the Indian Ocean.

Marco Rubio arrived on Saturday in India, where he will tighten ties with a long-term partner of the United States, a week after Donald Trump’s visit to China. The U.S. Secretary of State began his four-day, four-city trip in Calcutta, where the practicing Catholic will visit the headquarters of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. He will then fly to New Delhi to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, according to the State Department.

Before departing on Tuesday, Marco Rubio will also participate in a Quad Foreign Ministers meeting, which includes Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, aimed at countering China’s presence in the Indian Ocean.

Beijing has long been cautious about the Quad, seeing it as an attempt to encircle China. The return of President Donald Trump to power in the United States has shaken up traditional American priorities. Trump visited China last week, where he praised the reception from President Xi Jinping, despite few concrete announcements. Marco Rubio, who advocated for close ties with India in the Senate, told journalists on his plane that he had never visited the country before. He is accompanied by his wife Jeanette, with whom he will later visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Energy is in focus at the beginning of his trip, which also took him to Sweden. Marco Rubio referred to India as a “great ally, great partner” and indicated that the U.S. would seek ways to sell more oil to India. India’s growing economy relies on energy imports and was recently affected by the American-Israeli attack on Iran in February, which led to increased oil prices globally.

Historically, India has ties with Iran but is also strengthening its relationship with Israel. The conflict has brought Pakistan back into the spotlight as a mediator. The U.S., once allies with Pakistan during the Cold War, had gradually distanced itself in favor of relations with India. Trump, however, has drawn closer to Pakistan, which praised his diplomacy during a brief conflict with India last year. Modi irked Trump by not giving him credit for ending the conflict, leading to increased trade sanctions against India, exceeding those imposed on China.

Marco Rubio’s number two, Christopher Landau, raised concerns in India by stating that the country’s rise should not come at the expense of U.S. trade, promising not to repeat the “serious mistakes” made with China.

Relations have improved after a trade agreement negotiated following the arrival of U.S. ambassador Sergio Gor, a close political advisor to Donald Trump, earlier this year.