NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump as “two very serious leaders” who are focused on long-term strategic goals, while highlighting the steadily strengthening partnership between India and the United States.

Rubio made the remarks during the dedication ceremony of the new US Embassy Support Annex Building in New Delhi. He underlined the strong personal rapport between the two leaders, saying it continues to play a vital role in shaping bilateral relations.

“It is a personal relationship which dates back to the first administration when the President had a chance to visit here, and it has carried over into the second administration. You can just see the connection between them. These are two very serious leaders who are focused not just on the short term but on the long term,” Rubio said.

The comments came shortly after Rubio held a detailed one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that lasted over an hour. During the meeting, Rubio, on behalf of President Trump, formally extended an invitation to PM Modi to visit the White House.

Prime Minister Modi later shared details of the fruitful discussions on social media, stating that the talks covered regional and global peace and security, as well as ways to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

Rubio began his four-day official visit to India on Saturday by arriving in Kolkata, where he paid a visit to the Mother House, the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity founded by Saint Teresa. This was his first trip to India since assuming office as Secretary of State.

The top US diplomat is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday and participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. He is also expected to visit the historic cities of Agra and Jaipur during his stay.

Ahead of the visit, Rubio had described India as “a great ally and partner” with whom the US does “a lot of good work.”

The visit comes at a crucial time as both countries navigate complex global challenges, including the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Discussions are expected to cover trade, defence cooperation, technology, energy security, and supply chain resilience.

This high-level engagement reaffirms the bipartisan consensus in the United States on deepening strategic ties with India, seen as a key pillar of stability in the Indo-Pacific region.