Rubio said that in the 21st century, the story is going to be written in the Indo-Pacific
New York/Washington: India is one of the top relationships the US has in the world today, and Washington is in a period of extraordinary transition in that relationship with Delhi, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
Introducing US ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor at his confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said he has known Gor for a very long time and described India as “one of the top relationships the US has in the world today, in terms of the future, what the world is going to look like.”
Last month, President Donald Trump announced that he is promoting Gor, Director of Presidential Personnel, to be the next US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.
When confirmed, 38-year-old Gor will be the youngest American ambassador to India.
Rubio said that in the 21st century, the story is going to be written in the Indo-Pacific. “In fact, it's so important that we've actually changed the name of the combatant command of the Indo-Pacific. India is at the core of that,” he said.
“We are in a period of extraordinary transition in that relationship with India. We've got some really important issues coming up that we need to work with them on and work through that implicate what's happening from Ukraine, but also implicate what's happening in the region,” he added.
Rubio stressed the importance of having a US representative in India who has the direct ear and confidence of the President. He noted Gor’s close working relationship with President Trump, calling him “very, very close to the President” and someone who can “get things done both in the administration and through the Oval Office.”
“I don't know of anyone out there that's better positioned to do that than Gor,” Rubio said.
