Rubio conveys Trump's White House invite to Modi, discusses bilateral ties and West Asia crisis

India and the US have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, with a focus on defence, trade, and energy security, amidst a US Secretary of State's four-day visit to New Delhi.

India and the US will continue to work closely for the global good, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed him on the West Asia crisis and discussed ways to bolster bilateral ties in crucial sectors, including defence, strategic technologies, trade and energy security.

Rubio, who met Modi shortly after landing in New Delhi, invited the prime minister on behalf of President Donald Trump to visit the White House in the ''near future'', even as the top American diplomat described India as the ''cornerstone'' of Washington's approach towards the Indo-Pacific.

The US Secretary of State's four-day trip to India -- aimed at holding wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and attending a Quad foreign ministers' conclave -- is largely seen as an attempt to recalibrate bilateral relations, which have faced headwinds since mid-last year.

''Happy to receive the US Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio. We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security,'' Modi said on social media.

''India and the United States will continue to work closely for the global good,'' he said.

The US State Department said Secretary Rubio and PM Modi agreed to deepen trade and defence cooperation and accelerate collaboration on critical and emerging technologies.

After the meeting with the prime minister, Rubio, addressing an event at the US embassy, described India as an ''incredibly important partner'' for the US and indicated that the two sides are planning to make certain important announcements in the coming months to further solidify the relations.

The top diplomat, in his address, delved into various aspects of India-US relations and touched upon how the friendship between PM Modi and President Trump is driving the ties forward.

''The connection between the leaders is incredibly important. These are two very serious leaders who are focussed not just on the short-term, but on the long-term. I think that that is important to note, because it's a key part of the foundation, the relationship between our countries,'' Rubio said.

The US Secretary of State also emphasised Washington's seriousness to expand cooperation under the Quad framework.

US State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, referring to Rubio's meeting with Modi, said the Secretary of State underscored the strategic importance of the US-India partnership, the strong personal ties between the US President and the Prime Minister, as well as the profound economic and commercial opportunities for the two sides.

''The Secretary and the Prime Minister discussed the current situation in the Middle East. The Secretary emphasised that the United States will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage and affirmed that US energy products have the potential to diversify India's energy supply,'' Pigott said.

Modi and Rubio also reflected upon bilateral achievements including significant investments that advance the President and the Prime Minister's ''Mission 500'' to double trade by 2030, he said.

According to an Indian readout, Rubio briefed PM Modi on the ''sustained progress in bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including defence, strategic technologies, trade and investment, energy security, connectivity, education and people-to-people ties''.

The US Secretary of State shared the US perspective on various regional and global issues, including the situation in West Asia, it said.

PM Modi reaffirmed India's consistent support for peace efforts and reiterated the call for peaceful resolution of the conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, it said.

The readout from the Prime Minister's Office said Modi requested Secretary Rubio to convey his warm greetings to President Trump and said that he looked forward to their continued exchanges.

Pigott said the Secretary of State shared his appreciation for India hosting the upcoming Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting and looked forward to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region alongside Australia, India, and Japan.

US Ambassador Gor, who was also part of the Rubio-led delegation, described the meeting with PM Modi as ''productive''.

''We had a productive discussion on ways to deepen US-India cooperation across security, trade, and critical technologies - areas that strengthen both our nations and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific. India is a vital partner to the United States!'' he said on 'X'.

The Secretary of State inaugurated the Support Annex Building, which the US Mission said will deliver critical consular services.

''We recognise that an orderly and secure consular system is vital to solidify this important relationship. That's why we're introducing a new America first visa scheduling tool that prioritises business professionals who strengthen these ties,'' Rubio said.

The US Secretary of State arrived in Kolkata this morning, visiting the Mother House -- the headquarters of Saint Teresa's Missionaries of Charity -- before flying to the national capital.

On Sunday, Rubio is scheduled for bilateral talks with Jaishankar. The Secretary of State will travel to Agra and Jaipur on Monday before returning to Delhi on Tuesday morning for the Quad foreign ministers meeting.

Rubio's trip to India comes over five weeks after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri undertook a three-day visit to Washington DC that focused on stabilising the ties after a spell of uncertainty and strain.

The relations between the two countries witnessed a major downturn after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on India and President Donald Trump made controversial assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan military clashes last May.

Over the next few months, the US president repeatedly and publicly claimed that he had resolved the military conflict between the two neighbours and saved millions of lives as it was heading toward a full-scale war.

New Delhi stoutly maintained that the cessation of the hostilities was the result of talks between India and Pakistan and the US involvement had nothing to do with it.

However, both sides made efforts in the last few months to repair the ties.

The two sides have resolved to finalise a mutually beneficial trade deal soon.

President Trump and PM Modi held a nearly 40-minute phone conversation on April 14.

Following the call, Modi said he and Trump reviewed the ''substantial progress'' in the bilateral ties and that both sides are committed to further strengthening the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership in ''all areas''.