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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Samarkand, Mumbai, and Jamnagar from October 17 to 22. The trip includes the C5+1 Ministerial and talks on energy and strategic ties.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Uzbekistan and India from October 17 to 22, according to a media note issued by the US Department of State. The itinerary includes stops in Samarkand, Mumbai, and Jamnagar, marking Rubio's second official visit to India this year.
During his stay in India, Rubio will meet with senior government officials to discuss strengthening the US-India strategic partnership. The State Department stated that the talks will cover regional and global developments and "prospects for enhanced energy cooperation."
Rubio is also set to meet with business leaders to explore opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation between the two nations. The visit to Jamnagar is notable as the city is home to Reliance's oil refinery, which UA.News describes as the world's largest single-site refinery with the capacity to process 1.4 million barrels of oil per day.
Before arriving in India, Rubio will participate in the C5+1 Ministerial in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This platform involves the United States and five Central Asian countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
The State Department noted that Rubio will highlight strategic cooperation within this diplomatic platform. He will hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from the participating countries. Accompanying Rubio on the Uzbekistan leg is a US commercial delegation comprising more than 200 business leaders, aimed at strengthening commercial ties between the United States and Central Asia.
The upcoming visit follows recent high-level engagement between Washington and New Delhi. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor stated on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had spoken the previous week.
Speaking at an event in Kolkata marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, Gor highlighted cooperation in defense, information technology, and healthcare. He pointed to recent military exercises involving Indian and American forces, noting that US F-35 aircraft participated in activities in Rajasthan for the first time.
"If you look at defence, in the last two weeks alone, we have conducted exercises involving more than 500 troops at Tarang Shakti. We also had F-35s in Rajasthan for the first time," Gor said.
Gor also cited cross-border investments and India's role as a supplier of generic pharmaceuticals to the US. "In healthcare, we import a significant amount of our generic pharmaceuticals from India. This is because we trust India," he said.
This trip represents a continuation of diplomatic engagement between the US and key partners in South and Central Asia. The inclusion of Jamnagar in the itinerary underscores the focus on energy discussions, while the C5+1 Ministerial highlights the US interest in strengthening ties with Central Asian nations. The visit follows recent military exercises and high-level conversations between the leaders of the US and India, indicating ongoing efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation in defense and trade.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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