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Quad nations to meet in the Philippines; Marco Rubio says ‘may lead to concrete deliverables’
Rubio said Washington’s engagement with Islamabad was intended, in part, to help discourage activities that concern India.
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The leaders of the four Quad member states are set to meet on the margins of the Asean Summit in the Philippines in November and the meeting is expected to lead to concrete deliverables, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.
HT had first reported on October 17 that the grouping comprising India, Australia, Japan and the US was exploring the possibility of arranging the Quad Leaders’ Summit on the sidelines of the Asean meet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Manila during November 16-17 for Asean-related meetings.
The US hopes the Quad Summit will be held before the year-end, Rubio said in an interview with Network 18. “We’re going to do it in Manila at the Asean conference. We don’t have the specific date yet, but that’s going to happen and we’re very enthusiastic about it,” he said.
Also read: Rubio urges India to boost US energy, defence purchases in talks with Jaishankar
US hopes summit will produce concrete actions
“We look forward to being a part of that at Asean here in just a few weeks,” Rubio said. The Quad is “taking on a lot of energy” and the leaders’ summit is expected to lead to the announcement of concrete deliverables, he said.
“That’s what we’re excited about for the leaders meeting, is that at that meeting, they will be able to actually announce concrete actions – not just simply a nice social gathering, but something that has concrete deliverables,” Rubio said.
It was India’s turn to organise the Quad Leaders Summit last year but the meeting could not be held as there was no clarity on a visit to the country by President Donald Trump. The last Quad Leaders’ Summit was hosted by former US president Joe Biden in Wilmington in September 2024.
Rubio noted his first official engagement after becoming secretary of state last year was a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting, and said another gathering of the four ministers will be held on the margins of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta later this month.
Also read: 'Very close, some items left': Marco Rubio optimistic about India-US trade deal
US Ties with Pakistan
Responding to a question on the US’s growing ties with Pakistan at a time when India continues to have concerns about terrorism backed by its neighbour, Rubio said the US is opposed to terrorism anywhere in the world but needs to maintain ties with Pakistan.
The foreign policy of the US requires “us to have relationships with countries, including those that we may have some disagreements with”, he remarked. “In the case of Pakistan, it’s a country that we have to have a relationship with. It’s a country that possesses nuclear weapons, it’s a country that, from a geographic standpoint, we need to be able to interact with them in much the same way as the government of India…has a relationship and meets with leaders from Iran,” he said.
Rubio described Washington’s ties with Islamabad as a “positive thing” because it puts the US “in a position to help discourage the kinds of things that India is worried about”.
Also read: Rubio hails New Delhi as 'powerful, influential', says India-US ties will help shape 21st century
Rubio on Anti-Indian Sentiment
Asked about a foiled plot to attack a Hindu temple in the US state of Illinois, Rubio said he didn’t believe anti-Indian sentiment in the US is “widespread or deep”. Such incidents happen across the world and are motivated by factors such as terrorism or hatred, he said.
“Like any large and complex society, there are individuals within our country, sadly, who are stupid, dumb, ignorant, or hateful. And what I am very proud of is the way these communities react when it happens. And I don’t just mean the Indian American community, I mean the community that surrounds them and how they rally around and reject it,” he said.
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