Marco Rubio to visit India next week; energy, investment and strategic ties on agenda
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India from October 17 to 22 as Washington looks to strengthen energy cooperation and its wider strategic partnership with New Delhi. His India itinerary will include Mumbai and Jamnagar, where he is expected to meet senior government officials and business leaders.
The visit is part of Rubio’s wider tour, which will begin in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, before he travels to India. Talks are expected to cover regional and global developments, energy cooperation, commercial investment and economic ties between the two countries.
What will Marco Rubio discuss during his India visit?
According to the US Department of State, Rubio will meet senior Indian government officials to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties and exchange views on regional and global issues.
“He will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation,” the State Department said.
Rubio will also meet business leaders to encourage commercial investment and strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.
This will be his second visit to India since May, when he attended the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Why is Jamnagar on Rubio’s itinerary?
Rubio’s planned visit to Jamnagar comes as energy cooperation features prominently on the agenda. The Gujarat city is home to Reliance Industries’ refinery, the world’s largest single-site refining facility, with the capacity to process 1.4 million barrels of crude oil a day.
In March, US President Donald Trump announced plans for the US to build its first refinery in 50 years, with investment from Reliance Industries. Trump said the refinery would be built in Brownsville, Texas, at a cost of USD 300 billion.
Rubio’s meetings in India are expected to include discussions on prospects for greater energy cooperation, alongside wider strategic and commercial engagement.
Rubio to meet Central Asian leaders before India visit
Before travelling to India, Rubio will take part in the C5+1 Ministerial in Samarkand. The meeting will focus on how strategic cooperation through the diplomatic platform can help promote a more peaceful and prosperous future for the US and Central Asian countries.
He will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from the five Central Asian countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
A US commercial delegation of more than 200 business leaders will accompany Rubio to promote stronger trade and commercial cooperation between the US and Central Asia.
The October 17-22 tour will therefore cover both Uzbekistan and India, with discussions spanning strategic partnerships, regional and global developments, energy, investment and trade.
(With inputs from PTI)
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