Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, saying he has steered India through remarkable economic progress and helped position the country as an increasingly influential global power.
In an exclusive interview with IANS at the White House, Rubio said the Trump administration held PM Modi in high regard and viewed India as one of America’s closest strategic partners.
“We are enormous fans of Prime Minister Modi and what he’s done,” Rubio said.
“He leads a country that’s making incredible gains economically and is really coming into its own as a global power, a country that’s increasingly accounted for on decisions being made on the global stage.”
Rubio said India’s growing global influence had further strengthened the partnership between New Delhi and Washington.
“India is such a close partner and ally of the United States, and the relationship between the Prime Minister and the President couldn’t be closer, which I think is really important in diplomacy,” he said.
The Secretary of State said the shared values and interests of the two democracies provided a strong foundation for expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.
“These are the largest democracies in the world and the oldest democracy in the world,” Rubio said. “I think we have so much aligned and in common that we can build and work on together.”
He identified economics, supply chains, critical minerals, energy, security and freedom of navigation as areas where the two countries were deepening cooperation.
“These are all issues that bind us together. We’re aligned on so many things,” Rubio said.
Rubio also highlighted the contribution of the Indian-American community to the relationship.
“You have a very strong Indian American community as well, which is an additional link between our countries,” he said.
When told that he was popular among Indian Americans, Rubio responded: “Oh, good. I’m glad to hear that. I appreciate that very much. It’s a community that’s enriched our country in many ways.”
India and the United States have significantly expanded their strategic partnership over the past two decades, with cooperation extending from defence and trade to critical technologies, energy and the Indo-Pacific.
Successive governments in the US have described the relationship as one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.
(IANS)
