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Ahead of his first official visit to India, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has highlighted the growing partnership between Washington and New Delhi, saying the US hopes to celebrate its 250th birthday alongside India.
We're looking forward to celebrating with you, Mr. Secretary! pic.twitter.com/ImcJGPwpN0
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) May 20, 2026
“As America gets ready to celebrate our 250th birthday, we look forward to doing it with our partners in India. India is the world’s largest democracy and we are the world’s oldest, so we look forward to celebrating together,” Rubio said in a video message shared on X by US embassy in India.
"We're looking forward to celebrating with you, Mr. Secretary!" the embassy said.
Rubio's comments came ahead of his first official visit to India from May 23 to 26.
“Secretary Rubio will travel to India from May 23-26, where he will visit Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said on Tuesday.
The Secretary will discuss energy, security, trade, and defence cooperation during meetings with senior Indian officials, Pigott added.
Rubio will arrive in India after attending the Nato Foreign Ministers meeting in Sweden on May 22.
India is also scheduled to host a meeting of Quad foreign ministers next week, where leaders are expected to discuss major global challenges, including the impact of the West Asia crisis.
The meeting, planned in New Delhi on May 26, is expected to be attended by Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar leading the discussions.
With inputs from agencies
