Marco Rubio's visit to India emphasises importance of Quad: US Embassy

NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's upcoming visit to India emphasises the importance of the Quad partnership, the US Embassy in India stated on Friday.

While sharing pictures of Quad Foreign Ministers on X, the US Embassy in India stated, "Standing together for a free and open Indo-Pacific. From supporting regional security to diversifying critical minerals supply chains, Secretary Marco Rubio's upcoming visit to India emphasizes the importance of the Quad partnership."

Quad brings together four countries -- India, Australia, Japan, and the United States -- with a commitment to work as a force for global good and to support an open, free, and inclusive Indo-Pacific that is prosperous and resilient, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement.

India is set to host the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on May 26. At the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Marco Rubio, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit India to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Ahead of his visit to India, Marco Rubio said that Washington wants to expand energy ties with New Delhi and deepen coordination through the Quad, while describing India as a "great ally" and "great partner" amid global supply disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

Leaving for India, with a stopover in Europe, Rubio told reporters in Miami that the US was ready to increase energy exports to India as concerns grow over disruptions to global oil and gas supplies following tensions in West Asia.

"We wanna sell them as much energy as they'll buy," Rubio said when asked about India being "deeply affected" by the energy supply situation and the shutting of the Strait of Hormuz. "Obviously, you've seen, I think we're at historic levels of US production and US export. We wanna be able to do more."

Rubio said discussions with India on energy cooperation were already underway and would continue during his upcoming visit.

"We were already in talks with them to do more. We want next week as well. So there are opportunities," he said.