US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore called US President Donald Trump from the 250th Independence Day celebrations in Delhi, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present during the interaction in which Trump praised India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
US President Donald Trump says: “India can count on me 100 percent. If they ever need help, they know where to call. They call here. We’re in good shape.”
“We are making records. We have a record economy, a record stock market and anything India wants to have. I am a big fan of Prime Minister Modi…Marco is the greatest. He is going to be the greatest Secretary of State in the history of the United States…Say hi to PM Modi and tell him I am a big fan…”
Read also | Marco Rubio begins visit to India for talks with PM Modi and Jaishankar: What is his ambitious agenda?
What Rubio said about Jaishankar and India
Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar during a joint press conference, while highlighting the growing strategic partnership between India and the US.
“…Dr. S. Jaishankar has been exceptional. He is a truly wise man who does an amazing job on behalf of your country and someone for whom I have tremendous appreciation and respect,” Rubio said.
“I thank you for the welcome and hospitality that we have received from everyone here in India and all the leaders of your government, especially the Secretary of State, who has become someone I know very well… When I became Secretary of State, I took the oath of office at noon or 11 a.m. that morning after the inauguration.”
“I immediately went to the Foreign Office and it was the first meeting I had ever had with a group of four countries known as the Quad and one of the people I met on that first day and interacted with many times, was Foreign Secretary Dr. S. Jaishankar and he was exceptional. He is a truly wise man and does a wonderful job on behalf of your country and someone for whom I have enormous appreciation and respect…”
Important points discussed during Rubio’s visit
Addressing the joint press conference, Rubio said that the relationship between the two democracies goes beyond traditional diplomatic engagement and reflects deep strategic consensus on global challenges.
“A strategic partnership is a completely different thing,” Rubio said. “A strategic partnership is when your interests as two countries align, and you work together strategically to solve those problems.”
Highlighting the broad scope of bilateral cooperation, Rubio added, “The list of issues we are working on with India, and its breadth, is what highlights the fact that India is an important strategic partner of the United States, and one of our most important strategic partners in the world.”
Rubio also stressed the shared democratic values between the two countries, saying: “Democracies respond directly to their people, and you have to respond constantly.”
Regarding security cooperation, the US Secretary of State stressed the strong partnership in combating terrorism between Washington and New Delhi. “On the issue of terrorism, our two countries have suffered, directly and indirectly, because of global terrorist networks,” Rubio said. “There has been a strong counterterrorism coalition as a result.”
He also pointed to growing cooperation in the field of technology and innovation, saying that the two countries agreed to balance the opportunities and risks arising from new technologies in the 21st century. He pointed out that “there is a tremendous strategic alliance between our two countries and an agreement on this point.”
(With inputs from Annie)
