Marco Rubio hails India as top US partner, says it is “at the core” of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday described India as one of Washington’s most important global relationships and said ties with New Delhi are in a period of “extraordinary transition.”

Speaking at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee while introducing ambassador-designate Sergio Gor at his confirmation hearing, Rubio said, “India is at the core” of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

“In the 21st century, the story is going to be written in the Indo-Pacific… and we are in a period of extraordinary transition in that relationship with India,” he said, adding that the partnership will shape “what the world is going to look like.”

President Donald Trump last month nominated Gor, 38, the Director of Presidential Personnel, as the next US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. If confirmed, he would be the youngest American envoy to New Delhi.

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.

“And 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 on that implicate what’s happening from Ukraine, but also implicate what’s happening in the region.

“It is important that the United States be represented at that post with someone who has the direct ear and confidence of the President of the United States,” Rubio said, adding that he knows of no one “who has had a better or closer working relationship” than Gor.

Rubio said Gor is ”very, very close to the President, has the President’s confidence, and I can tell you that when you interact with these countries, in fact, I’ve already seen it when you interact with these countries, having a representative in a place like India that has direct access to the Oval Office, to the President and who they know can get things done both in the administration, and through the Oval Office, is critically important.”

“I don’t know of anyone out there that’s better positioned” to do that than Gor, Rubio added.