Foreign & Public Diplomacy

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio takes a three-day trip to India that skips New Delhi; the full text of the Mecca pact between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia is revealed; and an investigation sounds the alarm on Bangladesh’s measles crisis.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio takes a three-day trip to India that skips New Delhi; the full text of the Mecca pact between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia is revealed; and an investigation sounds the alarm on Bangladesh’s measles crisis.

In India, Rubio Is All Business

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday for a three-day trip to India with an unusual itinerary, visiting Mumbai and Jamnagar but not New Delhi. Rubio visited India’s capital in May, meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Though it’s unclear why he isn’t going to New Delhi this time, he could actually do a favor for sputtering U.S.-India ties.

New Delhi is where India’s trust gap with the United States is the largest. Indian officials are deeply displeased about some of President Donald Trump’s actions—from the administration’s tariff regime to its deep embrace of Pakistan. New Delhi perceives that Washington is taking a transactional approach toward their strategic partnerships.

Had Rubio gone to New Delhi, there would have been uncomfortable conversations. Instead, he is visiting the Indian financial capital and then the city that is home to the world’s largest oil refinery.

Much of the focus of Rubio’s trip will be on business and investment. The Indian private sector, much like the government, worries about recent U.S. policies—especially those related to tariffs and visas—but remains keen to partner with Washington, in large part because of the massive market opportunities in the United States.

Something else about Rubio’s visit to Mumbai could help the bilateral relationship. Soon after he arrived, Rubio laid a wreath in honor of the 166 people, including six Americans, killed in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. That tragedy recalls a time when counterterrorism was a critical area of cooperation for India and the United States.

In the initial years after the Mumbai tragedy, U.S. covert operatives carried out missions in Pakistan focused on tracking down the group that perpetrated the attacks, Lashkar-e-Taiba—a highly potent anti-India outfit.

In Jamnagar on Wednesday, Rubio met with Mukesh Ambani, the head of........

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