Secretary of State Marco Rubio And U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor At a U.S. Embassy Support Annex Dedication Ceremony

AMBASSADOR GOR: Good afternoon.

AUDIENCE:Good afternoon.

AMBASSADOR GOR: Good afternoon.

AUDIENCE:Good afternoon.

AMBASSADOR GOR: Thank you. Please give a warm welcome to an incredible guest and somebody who I would venture to say is the greatest Secretary of State in history. (Applause.)

Many say that in diplomacy the most important work happens not only in formal meetings but in the quiet spaces between them, where relationships are built, ideas are exchanged, and trust takes root. While this facility is built of stone and steel, its real purpose is to create space for people, entrepreneurs, students, and families to turn shared ambition into shared success. We are here because we believe that a strong America and a strong India are essential to the world. When I see Indian companies committing $20.5 billion to the U.S. economy, I was simply blown away. I saw confidence in the American worker, confidence in the American economy, and confidence in the enduring promise of the American dream.

This building, which will house our consular operation, alongside other embassy offices, is our response to that confidence. We believe in India. It will serve as a gateway to America for the innovators who support hundreds of thousands of jobs in U.S. communities and fuel our quest to reach $500 billion in bilateral trade in the coming years.

But strong partnerships also depend on security and trust. The dedicated council of professionals who work within these walls help keep Americans safe overseas through emergency services, passport support, and assistance to citizens in times of need.

Under the Trump Administration, every decision is a national security decision. Our team works every day to protect the integrity of the travel process for careful vetting and responsible screening. That approach protects our borders while preserving opportunities for the legitimate travelers, investors, and students who strengthen the U.S.-India partnership.

I want to thank everybody who was involved in building this building, especially the OBO team, the architects, and the hundreds of other individuals who made it possible. Thank you to all of you. (Applause.)

The Secretary and I just left a meeting with Prime Minister Modi, and I can attest the relationship is on solid footing. There is an incredible potential ahead. I often talk about limitless potential. And with that, one of the items that makes that potential happen is high-level engagements. And so please help me in giving a very warm welcome to the greatest Secretary of State in history, Marco Rubio. (Applause.)

SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you. Thank you. I’ve only been on the job for a year and a half, Sergio, so I still have plenty of time to mess it up, so let’s not do those proclaimments here. But that’s a very, very nice introduction, and I want to thank all of you for being here today, what all of you do.

First, I do want to recognize the work that Ambassador Gor is doing, who was a friend of mine before he came here. And we knew when he would come here he would be a dynamo and he would add energy to the mission, and I hope you’ve perceived that. His excitement for the job is palpable, and you see it in the results.

Second, I want to thank all of you that help us here in this mission. And let me begin – and I don’t think our folks will be offended if I do this – I always begin by recognizing and thanking our locally employed staff. If you’re here, I just want you to know you are an important part of our family. We could not do our job without you. (Applause.) They really are. I mean, they are the institutional memory. Our folks, as you know, rotate every two or three years, we come and go, we go back, we go back to D.C., they go to other places, they move on to other assignments. But every time a new officer comes in, every time someone new comes in, it is that institutional memory of the locally employed staff that allows us to avoid the early pitfalls, learn from the past, and hit the ground running. So we’re grateful to all of you for what you do.

I want to comment about two things, first about this building. I’m glad to be here. I believe in my – not do I believe – I know that in my year and a half as Secretary of State, it’s the first new building that I get a chance to cut the ribbon on or inaugurate, so – (applause). And obviously this facility, because of all the upgrades it provides us, it makes it easier for you to do the job. But I think as Ambassador Gor outlined a moment ago, the building stands as more than just brick and mortar. It’s more than just the structure. It is, I hope, a sign of our commitment to the support and relationship between the United States and India.

It is – this relationship between our two countries is at the cornerstone of our approach to the Indo-Pacific. A lot of people aren’t aware of this or – but I was sworn in as Secretary of State on Tuesday or Wednesday – it was a Tuesday after the inauguration. Within the hour I was at the State Department, spoke briefly, as is tradition, in the lobby of that building to our staff, and then went immediately upstairs to the 8th floor. And my first meeting, my very first meeting officially as Secretary of State, was a meeting of the Quad. And we were going to renew that. We did that again last year in a second and in a different setting, and we’re – and we chose to do it here. We wanted to do it here, not just because of our commitment to that structure of work but also as a tangible sign of what an important role India plays in the United States and in our posture and in our approach to the Indo-Pacific. (Applause.)

Anchoring that is the relationship between the President and the prime minister. It’s a personal relationship that dates back to the first administration when the President had a chance to visit here, and it has carried over into this second administration. And you can just see the connection between them, and I think that’s incredibly important – it is – the connection between leaders is incredibly important. These are two very serious leaders that are focused not just on the short term but on the long term. And so I think that that is important to note because it’s at the – it’s a key part of the foundation of the relationship between our countries.

And just in the past year, we’ve seen this partnership deepen in ways that don’t often make headlines or aren’t splashy but are important and real and tangible and enduring. We’ve expanded commercial ties, now with more than $20 billion in investments – $20 billion in investments from Indian companies in the United States. We’ve deepened a security partnership through military exercises in the Indo-Pacific, and of course as part of that, we recognize that an orderly and a secure consular system is vital to solidifying this important relationship. That’s why we’re introducing a new America First visa scheduling tool that prioritizes business professionals that strengthen these ties.

And – but the facility, as I said, is not just for those that are applying for visas. It’s also for you, the Americans who work here, the men and women of this mission who are at the front lines every single day of advancing America’s national interest and America’s national security. So it’s an honor really to be here today. I wanted to keep this brief because it’s hot. (Laughter.) It’s hot. It’s – although it’s not humid. Like, I’m from Miami. There’s the humid hot and then there’s this hot, but it’s like: what time is it? It should be getting – cooling off by now. (Laughter.)

And so I don’t want to keep you out here much longer than you need to be, but I just – I want to say one thing. This facility has saved Americans money, because it’s going to make us more efficient. It’s going to allow us to do the work we have to do anyways but it allows us to do it more accurately, faster, and in a more efficient way. So this is very important.

And again, I want – let me just close by thanking the team here at the U.S. embassy for your hard work, for your professionalism, for your patriotism. The work you do benefits your country, it benefits Americans that are here, and ultimately Americans back home and across the globe. And it is at the cornerstone of this important partnership between us and India, which, as I said, is an incredibly important one, and it’s the reason why I’m here in this visit, to reaffirm those ties, to build upon them. And we think in the months ahead we’re going to have even more exciting and new announcements to make about the development and the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries, and all of you will be at the forefront of that.

So thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)

(The building was dedicated.) (Applause.)

SECRETARY RUBIO: That’s my first plaque. (Laughter.) So like a hundred years from now, when my great grandkids come visit India, they’re going to see that plaque. It’s going be great. I love it. Thank you. (Applause.)

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