New Delhi, May 25: U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio met with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Sunday. The discussions centered on defense, security, and strategic technology collaboration, including the TRUST initiative.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed via a post on X that both NSAs reaffirmed the high priority of the India-U.S. comprehensive global strategic partnership and exchanged views on regional and global issues.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also held talks with Marco Rubio regarding the India-U.S. strategic partnership and various regional, global, and multilateral matters. Jaishankar expressed his eagerness to join the upcoming Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting with counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the U.S. on Tuesday.
He noted on X that the review covered the entire bilateral agenda, including trade, energy, defense, security, critical minerals, AI, nuclear cooperation, counter-terrorism, and drug trafficking. Discussions also touched on regional and global issues, followed by a detailed press briefing.
On Saturday, the U.S. Secretary met with Prime Minister Modi, where they discussed the situation in West Asia, energy security, supply chains, and trade expansion. The U.S. emphasized energy cooperation with India and plans to double trade under the ‘Mission 500’ initiative.
Prime Minister Modi stated that India and the U.S. will continue to work together for global peace and stability, maintaining cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, conflict resolution, and development partnerships.
Following the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs posted on social media, stating, “U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio met with NSA Ajit Doval today. The focus was on cooperation related to defense, security, and strategic technology, including the TRUST initiative.”
They reiterated the high priority given to the bilateral comprehensive global strategic partnership and shared views on regional and global issues.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in India noted, “Secretary Rubio participated in an essential meeting with NSA Doval, focusing on counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability, and strengthening U.S.-India strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific. Our partnership continues to strengthen in support of shared security interests!”
On Saturday, Rubio also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated, “The Secretary and the Prime Minister discussed the current situation in the Middle East. The Secretary emphasized that the U.S. will not allow Iran to hold the global energy market hostage and mentioned that the U.S. has the capacity to diversify India’s energy supply. Both officials discussed recent mutual achievements, including significant investments that advance the President and Prime Minister’s ‘Mission 500’ to double trade by 2030.”
Rubio wrote on X, “In New Delhi, I met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and emphasized the importance of U.S.-India relations. We discussed the situation in the Middle East, U.S.-India partnerships in energy, securing essential supply chains, and collaboration on new technologies. I was pleased to extend an invitation from the President for Prime Minister Modi to visit the White House.” After the meeting, PM Modi stated that both countries will continue to work together for the betterment of the world.
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