External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai on October 20, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. Rubio is also expected to meet with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani in Jamnagar, Gujarat, during his India trip.
On Thursday, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Rubio would travel to Jamnagar, home to RIL's oil refining complex, the world's largest, where he will meet Reliance officials. “I’d imagine he’d be there,” Gor said, referring to Ambani, at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi.
Jaishankar-Rubio talks to focus on bilateral ties
At the MEA's bi-weekly media briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Jaishankar will host the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in Mumbai on October 19 and 20. On October 20, he will hold talks with Rubio and attend celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States as the guest of honour.
“The meeting would be an opportunity to review the US-India relations and discuss ways to further strengthen our cooperation and global strategic partnership. It will also allow both sides to advance our shared priorities,” Jaiswal said.
The discussions are expected to cover key areas of bilateral cooperation, including energy, critical energy issues, and regional and global developments, he added.
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The US State Department said earlier this week that Rubio would meet senior Indian government officials during his October 17-22 visit. The discussions are expected to focus on enhanced energy cooperation and strengthening the partnership between the two countries.
MEA explains choice of Mumbai for meeting
Asked why the meeting would take place in Mumbai rather than New Delhi, Jaiswal said India had hosted foreign dignitaries outside the national capital on several occasions over the past decade.
He cited the Prime Minister's meetings with the Spanish Prime Minister in Vadodara, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad and the Prime Minister of Mauritius in Varanasi. He also referred to the SCO Foreign Ministers' Summit in Goa, hosted by Jaishankar, and the Heart of Asia conference in Amritsar.