Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 14: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India from October 17 to 22 as Washington seeks to strengthen energy cooperation and its broader strategic partnership with New Delhi.
During his visit, Rubio is scheduled to travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar in Gujarat, where he is expected to meet senior government officials and business leaders. Discussions are likely to focus on bilateral relations, regional and global developments, energy cooperation, commercial investment and economic ties.
According to the US Department of State, Rubio will meet senior Indian officials to explore ways to deepen the US-India strategic partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues. He will also engage with business leaders to encourage investment and strengthen commercial cooperation between the two countries.
This will be Rubio’s second visit to India since May, when he attended the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Jamnagar features prominently in the itinerary because of its importance to the energy sector. The Gujarat city is home to Reliance Industries’ refinery complex, the world’s largest single-site refining facility, with the capacity to process around 1.4 million barrels of crude oil a day.
Energy cooperation has gained further attention following US President Donald Trump’s announcement in March about plans to build a new refinery in Brownsville, Texas, with investment from Reliance Industries. Trump said the proposed project would cost USD 300 billion.
Rubio’s discussions in India are expected to explore opportunities for expanded energy cooperation alongside broader strategic and commercial engagement.
Before arriving in India, Rubio will visit Samarkand in Uzbekistan to participate in the C5+1 Ministerial meeting, a diplomatic platform bringing together the United States and five Central Asian countries.
The meeting will focus on strengthening strategic cooperation and promoting regional stability and prosperity. Rubio is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with senior officials from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
A US commercial delegation comprising more than 200 business leaders will accompany him to promote trade and investment opportunities between the United States and Central Asia.
The October 17-22 tour is expected to highlight Washington’s efforts to expand its strategic partnerships and economic cooperation across Central Asia and India.