Rubio Tackles US-India Trust Deficit

Marco Rubio arrived in New Delhi on May 23 for his first official visit to India, opening two days of meetings aimed at steadying a relationship both governments still describe as strategically important. Rubio met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and held formal talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at Hyderabad House on Sunday, according to India’s foreign ministry and the U.S. State Department. The visit came ahead of a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for May 26 in the Indian capital. It also came after a period of unease in New Delhi over Washington’s wider regional moves and domestic policies that affect Indians, according to AP. ### Why did Rubio go to New Delhi now? The May 24 meetings were framed by both sides as part of an ongoing effort to keep the U.S.-India partnership on track. Jaishankar said at the joint press availability that he and Rubio had been in “regular touch” since Rubio’s first day in office and had met previously in Washington, New York and France. He said the latest discussions with Rubio and Modi covered global and regional issues, including West Asia, the Indian subcontinent, East Asia, Ukraine and the Gulf. (mea.gov.in) AP reported that the trip was also intended to address a “trust deficit” that has opened between Washington and New Delhi. The news agency said India had grown uneasy after the United States stepped up engagement with Pakistan during the Iran war and after President Donald Trump’s recent high-profile visit to China. ### What did Rubio and Jaishankar say in public? (state.gov) Jaishankar told reporters in New Delhi on May 24 that the two countries’ strategic partnership grew from “a convergence of national interests in many areas.” He said the talks would continue over lunch after the press appearance and that the Indo-Pacific would be on the agenda for the Quad meeting on May 26. (apnews.com) Rubio said the United States and India were “strategic allies” and called the relationship “one of the most important ones that we have.” He rejected the idea that the visit was about repairing a broken relationship, saying it was about “continuing to build on what is already a very solid and strong, strategic partnership.” (state.gov) ### What concrete business was on the table? Jaishankar said a 10-year major Defense Partnership Framework Agreement had recently been renewed. He also said defense and security cooperation formed part of the discussions in New Delhi, alongside regional issues and the Quad agenda. (state.gov) A February 3 State Department readout from Rubio’s earlier meeting with Jaishankar said the two sides had discussed formalizing cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining and processing. That readout also said Rubio and Jaishankar had welcomed a trade deal reached between Trump and Modi and had committed to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad. (state.gov) ### Why has trust become an issue between Washington and New Delhi? AP said tensions have been sharpened by U.S. trade and immigration policies affecting Indians, even as both governments continue to publicly emphasize strategic alignment. The report said the bilateral relationship had fallen to its lowest point in more than two decades, a characterization carried in AP’s coverage of Rubio’s visit. (state.gov) Rubio did not publicly refer to a trust deficit in his opening remarks. Instead, he stressed continuity, saying the partnership was not about “restoring or reinvigorating” ties but building on an existing foundation. ### What happens next in New Delhi? The Quad foreign ministers’ meeting is scheduled for May 26 in New Delhi, according to India’s foreign ministry. (apnews.com) India said the meeting would bring together Jaishankar, Australia’s Penny Wong, Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi and Rubio, with press statements expected at Hyderabad House. India’s foreign ministry also listed Rubio’s May 23 call on Modi, his May 24 meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his May 24 talks with Jaishankar as part of the visit. (state.gov) Those meetings set up the next public milestone in the trip: the Quad session in New Delhi on Monday, May 26. (mea.gov.in) (mea.gov.in)