‘India-US Ties Can Shape 21st Century’: Marco Rubio Calls Strategic Alignment ‘Extraordinary’, Says Both Nations Can Rewrite Global Order

Mumbai: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has characterised the strategic alignment between India and the United States as “extraordinary”, emphasising that both nations have an opportunity to shape the course of the 21st century through partnership.   

At the Freedom 250 reception in Mumbai, Rubio observed that while Washington and New Delhi would not see eye to eye on every matter, their shared fundamental interests hold the capacity to influence geopolitics, economics, trade and commerce for decades to come.  

“No two nations on Earth will ever be perfectly aligned on every issue, and there will be times and points of disagreement,” Rubio stated. 

“But on the core issues that matter, the core issues that define the national interests of both India and the United States, the alignment between our countries is extraordinary,” he added.  

Rubio underscored that the collaboration carries immense weight given the demographic and economic magnitude of the two powers, characterising India as a country nearing a population of 1.5 billion alongside the United States as the planet's largest economy. 

He noted that the two countries possess a distinct prospect to contribute towards authoring the history of the 21st century by collaborating closely on matters destined to dictate tomorrow. 

Furthermore, Rubio expressed the view that the United States ought to maintain more frequent diplomatic engagement with India, which he labelled among Washington's most vital geopolitical partners. 

Reflecting upon an inquiry from journalists regarding his return to India following an interval of merely four months, Rubio highlighted that the nation's demographic scale, democratic framework and strategic relevance establish it as a cornerstone partner for the US. 

“I actually think we don’t come enough,” he remarked. Rubio asserted that the narrative of the 21st century is unfolding within the region, maintaining that regional occurrences will determine global trajectories for better and for worse. 

“One day, someone will write a book about the history of the 21st century, and there will be a chapter about other regions in the world, but the 21st century will be defined, for better and for worse, by what happens in this region,” he noted. 

“We know that, we can sense it, we can feel it,” he added. During the reception, Rubio pointed out that contemporary geopolitical, economic, trade and commercial decisions will impact generations yet unborn. 

He conveyed that American diplomatic personnel stationed in India hold a rare privilege to assist in moulding the future alongside a formidable, influential and advanced partner. 

“What I’m excited about, and what I challenge our team at the Department of State to be excited about, as well as our team at the consulate here in Mumbai, is the fact that today you are assigned to and working in a place where the United States, in partnership with another powerful, influential, and advanced country, is helping to write the story of the 21st century,” Rubio stated. 

He asserted that the bilateral alliance must champion mutual principles encompassing individual dignity, democratic tenets and the rule of law.