Marco Rubio To Visit Mumbai, Jamnagar From October 17-22 Amid India-US Trade Talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Mumbai and Jamnagar from October 17 to 22 as part of a trip that will also take him to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the US Department of State said on Tuesday.

During his second official visit to India this year, Rubio will meet senior government officials to strengthen the India-US strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global developments, and explore opportunities for greater energy cooperation, the department said in a media note dated October 13.

Rubio is also scheduled to meet business leaders to promote commercial investment and economic cooperation between the two countries. His visit comes as New Delhi and Washington continue trade negotiations amid tensions over India’s purchases of Russian oil and US tariff measures targeting Indian goods.

India-US Trade Tensions And Energy Cooperation On Agenda

Rubio’s meetings are expected to provide an opportunity for the two sides to discuss bilateral priorities, including trade and energy cooperation, alongside regional and global developments.

India-US trade negotiations have continued amid disagreements over tariffs and New Delhi’s imports of Russian crude oil. The US has threatened steep tariffs on Indian goods linked to those purchases, adding pressure to efforts to resolve trade differences.

The visit comes as both countries seek to advance their strategic partnership while addressing outstanding economic and trade concerns.

Rubio To Attend C5+1 Ministerial In Uzbekistan

Before travelling to India, Rubio will visit Samarkand to participate in the C5+1 Ministerial, a diplomatic platform bringing together the United States and five Central Asian countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.

He will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from the five countries and lead a US commercial delegation comprising more than 200 business leaders to promote economic and commercial cooperation between Washington and Central Asia.

The Central Asian engagements are part of the US effort to deepen regional partnerships and expand commercial ties, while Rubio’s subsequent India visit will focus on strengthening bilateral strategic and economic cooperation.