NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said President Donald Trump loves India and is a big fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while responding to questions about Trump's reported endorsement of a remark calling India a 'hellhole'.
Rubio defends Trump's stance
Rubio stated, 'I wouldn't be here if the president didn't want me to be here. He cares - he wouldn't have sent someone like Sergio Gor to be our ambassador, someone who's very close to the President.'
Clarification on the 'hellhole' remark
Earlier, at a media briefing on Sunday, Rubio had said there are stupid people everywhere who say dumb things. However, when traveling US media on Monday pointed out that the question was about Trump's endorsement of the 'hellhole' remark, Rubio clarified he had assumed the question referred to random voices.
India-Pakistan issues not raised in Iran context
Rubio also revealed that India did not bring up the issue of Pakistan's mediation in the US-Iran conflict during his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday. He acknowledged India's concerns about armed terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory targeting India, but said Pakistan's role as a mediator in the Iran situation never came up.
Strait of Hormuz talks
Regarding talks with Iran, Rubio mentioned that there is 'a pretty solid thing' on the table concerning the possible opening of the Strait of Hormuz, hinting at potential good news soon. He emphasized that President Trump is not in a hurry and will not make a bad deal, giving diplomacy every chance before exploring alternatives.
