Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar next week for talks that will include “enhanced energy cooperation”, the State Department said, as Washington’s deadline on penalties for buyers of Russian energy approaches.
Rubio will travel to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and Mumbai and Jamnagar in India from October 17 to 22, the department said in a media note.
“The Secretary will then travel to India for his second official visit this year,” the State Department said.
“He will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation,” it said.
“Secretary Rubio will also meet with business leaders to promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation,” the media note added.
Jamnagar, in Gujarat, is home to Reliance Industries’ refining hub, one of the largest refining complexes in the world. The State Department did not say why the city was chosen as a stop.
The India stop comes days after the October 18 deadline under the Graham Act on duties targeting countries that buy Russian energy.
India has been one of the largest buyers of Russian crude since 2022, and its oil purchases have been a recurring point of friction with Washington.
Before India, Rubio will attend the C5+1 Ministerial in Samarkand.
The State Department said he will “highlight how strategic cooperation through this diplomatic platform promotes a more peaceful and prosperous future for the United States and the countries of Central Asia”.
He will hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
“On this historic visit, Secretary Rubio will lead a U.S. commercial delegation comprised of over 200 business leaders, ushering in a new era of strengthened commercial cooperation for the United States and Central Asia,” the department said.
In May, Rubio described India as a “great partner” and said his trip then would focus on energy and the Quad.
The C5+1 is a diplomatic platform that brings together the United States and the five Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
India and the United States describe their ties as a comprehensive global strategic partnership, covering defence, trade, technology and energy.
(IANS)
