NEW DELHI, October 20 (ANI) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to arrive in Mumbai on Tuesday for an official visit to India, building on recent diplomatic discussions in Central Asia and signaling that a long-awaited U.S.-India trade agreement is nearing finalization.
During his visit, which includes a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and a trip to Gujarat’s energy hub in Jamnagar, Rubio will address key aspects of the strategic partnership, regional stability and energy security.
According to the official schedule released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Rubio will arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday.
Shortly after his arrival, Rubio will pay tribute to victims of terrorism during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Taj Memorial inside the historic Taj Mahal Palace hotel at 3:40 p.m.
Following the ceremony, the U.S. secretary of state will hold key bilateral discussions with Jaishankar at the same venue, beginning at 3:50 p.m. The talks are expected to cover major aspects of the India-U.S. strategic partnership, economic cooperation and regional stability.
Later in the evening, Rubio is scheduled to attend the “Freedom 250 Reception” at the Jio World Convention Centre at 6:35 p.m., celebrating key milestones in U.S. history and bilateral diplomatic ties. Media access to the reception is being facilitated through the U.S. Embassy and Consulate.
On Wednesday, October 21, Rubio will conclude the Mumbai leg of his visit and depart for Jamnagar, Gujarat, from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 10:30 a.m. to continue his engagements.
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that official media coverage and photo opportunities at the various venues will be regulated in accordance with standard diplomatic protocol.
Earlier Monday, Rubio indicated that the U.S.-India trade deal was close to finalization. Rubio, who is currently in Uzbekistan, will meet Jaishankar in Mumbai on Tuesday. He will also travel to Jamnagar, home to one of the world’s largest refineries, later in the week.
Speaking to reporters in Samarkand, Rubio said, “We’re trying to finalize a trade deal with India right now. We’re very close to doing that.”
“We’ve had to waive sanctions over the past few months because of the impact on global supplies and prices… We have to manage all of these things. We’re trying to finalize a trade deal with India right now. We’re very close to doing that. That’s one of the things we take into consideration when the President makes a decision about national security waivers and things of that nature. Every country has a complex set of factors that it has to take into account. Geography is real. For some countries, it’s very difficult to acquire energy from alternative sources. That’s not an excuse, but all of that has to be balanced when making foreign policy,” he added.
Earlier, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump waived several sanctions related to Russian fuel sales that were due to take effect under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, Rubio described India as an important ally whose energy needs must be considered before tariffs or sanctions are imposed.
The law, now on hold, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% on goods imported into the United States from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, including India and China.
“These sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries—India, for example, and others. And so I think the president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy,” Rubio said.
“You’ve got countries like India, for example, that have voluntarily diversified their energy portfolio, but are still getting a substantial amount of energy from Russia because it’s hard to pivot from one day to the next. But they’re also an important ally and partner of the United States. So we need that period of time to sort of study all this and figure out what the right combination is,” he added.
Rubio said Trump was also taking into account changes in the geopolitical situation since the Graham bill was introduced, particularly the intensifying conflict involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia.
“I think when the bill was passed, one of the reasons the waivers were put in there is understanding that they would need some period of time to study this, given all the different things that are that are going on in the world right now, including the pressure on global energy supplies that are happening not just because of Iran and not just because of the Straits of Hormuz, but increasingly because of the Houthis attacking Saudi Arabia, and because of the war with Ukraine and Russia, where energy infrastructure is being hit, and so that’s having an impact on global prices as well,” he said.
On Friday, Trump invoked Section 115 of the Graham Act, which authorizes the president to waive the application of any sanctions provision with respect to a foreign person, any restriction with respect to a person, and any duty under the law.
Meanwhile, Rubio discussed cooperation in critical minerals, infrastructure and space with Uzbekistan’s foreign minister as the Central Asian country plans to significantly expand mineral production and develop its domestic critical minerals industry.
In a social media post Monday, Rubio said he had met Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Saidov to discuss deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries, including cooperation in infrastructure, space, critical minerals and through the C5+1 diplomatic platform.
The discussions come as Uzbekistan seeks to strengthen its position in the global critical minerals sector. The country has significant reserves of several minerals, including copper, uranium, lithium, tungsten, graphite and molybdenum, which form part of its broader resource base. (ANI)
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