Marco Rubio experienced some unfortunate technical difficulties while delivering a speech to top diplomats in India.
The secretary of state’s remarks at the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting—talks featuring the foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S.—were hampered on Tuesday when Rubio’s microphone failed to work properly.
After frantically fiddling with the mic in an attempt to get it working, Rubio carried on with his speech undeterred, even though his remarks were not being transmitted properly.
U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who was seated next to Rubio at the meeting, came to his rescue by pressing a button at the base of the microphone to turn it on.
Rubio then praised the success of the meeting between himself, India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong—the key strategic partnership known as the Quad—once his microphone began working.
“As I began as secretary of state, and as has been pointed out earlier, my first meeting as secretary of state was the Quad, within minutes of being sworn in. I thought that demonstrated our commitment to this process,” Rubio said.
“But our goal collectively over the last year has been to turn this from a forum in which we meet and talk about problems to one where we actually do something about them.”
Tuesday’s talks in New Delhi marked the third time the Quad—formally known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue—has met. Following the talks, Rubio announced that the four countries will work together on port infrastructure in Fiji.
The Quad also announced a major maritime security initiative aimed at improving countries’ surveillance capabilities and information-sharing in the Indo-Pacific.
“We are deeply committed to this partnership. It is a linchpin and a cornerstone of our global strategy as a nation,” Rubio added at a news conference on Tuesday.
Rubio arrived in India on Saturday for a four-day visit to help maintain relations with New Delhi. The trip has already included meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as a sightseeing visit to the Taj Mahal.
