Marco Rubio to visit Mumbai, Jamnagar for India-US energy talks

Marco Rubio will visit Mumbai and Jamnagar for talks with officials and business leaders. The tour underscores expanding India-US cooperation in energy, investment and strategic affairs.

In Short

• Rubio will meet senior government officials and business leaders during visit
• Jamnagar hosts Reliance Industries' vast single-site crude oil refinery facility
• This marks Rubio's second India visit since May's Quad meeting

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India next week to strengthen energy cooperation and the strategic partnership between the two countries, the US Department of State said on Tuesday.

Rubio will travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar during his October 17-22 tour, which will begin in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He will meet senior government officials and business leaders during the visit.

“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 promote commercial investment and economic cooperation, it added.

This will be Rubio's second visit to India since May, when he attended the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi.

His visit to Jamnagar comes as the city is home to Reliance Industries' refinery, the world's largest single-site facility, which can process 1.4 million barrels of crude oil a day.

In March, President Donald Trump announced that the US would build its first refinery in 50 years with investment from Reliance Industries. Trump said the refinery would be built at Brownsville in Texas at a cost of USD 300 billion.

Before arriving in India, Rubio will participate in the C5+1 Ministerial in Samarkand. The meeting will focus on how strategic cooperation through the diplomatic platform can promote a more peaceful and prosperous future for the US and Central Asian countries.

Rubio 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 comprising more than 200 business leaders will accompany Rubio to promote stronger commercial cooperation between the US and Central Asia.

Rubio's October 17-22 tour will cover Uzbekistan and India, with talks focused on strategic ties, regional and global developments, energy cooperation, investment and trade.

With PTI Inputs

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