New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday discussed various aspects of India-US bilateral ties, especially cooperation in defence, trade, energy and technology. Rubio met PM Modi shortly after arriving in New Delhi following a brief visit to Kolkata.

US Ambassador Sergio Gor said Rubio extended an invitation to PM Modi on behalf of US President Donald Trump to visit the US in the near future.

“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,” PM Modi said on X.

He added that India and the United States would continue to work closely for the global good.

“Secretary Rubio briefed Prime Minister 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 Prime Minister’s Office said.

Rubio also shared the US perspective on various regional and global issues, including the situation in West Asia, the PMO said.

The prime minister reaffirmed India’s consistent support for peace efforts and reiterated the call for peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.

“Prime Minister Modi requested Secretary Rubio to convey his warm greetings to President Trump and said that he looked forward to their continued exchanges,” the PMO said.

Ambassador Gor said Rubio had “extended an invite on behalf of President Donald Trump for Prime Minister Modi to visit the White House in the near future”.

On Sunday, Rubio is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and attend the US Embassy’s Independence Day celebrations.

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.

The four-day visit is aimed at recalibrating bilateral relations that have faced headwinds since mid-last year.

“Landed in India. Looking forward to a great visit,” Rubio said in a social media post after reaching Kolkata on Saturday morning. He visited the Mother House, headquarters of Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa, before flying to the national capital.