US State Secretary Rubio to travel to Uzbekistan, India from Oct 17-22; visit to Jamnagar on cards

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to India next week to further strengthen energy cooperation, the Department of State said on Tuesday.

Rubio will first visit Samarkand in Uzbekistan, and will then travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar in India from October 17-22, it said.

This will be Rubio’s second visit to India since May, when he attended the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi.

“He will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation,” the State Department said.

Rubio will also meet with business leaders to promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation, it said.

Rubio’s visit to Jamnagar is crucial as it is home to Reliance’s refinery, the world’s largest single-site facility with a capacity to process 1.4 million barrels per day of crude oil.

In March, President Donald Trump announced that the US will build its first refinery in 50 years with investment from Reliance Industries.

The refinery will come up at Brownsville in Texas at a cost of USD 300 billion, Trump said.

In Samarkand, Rubio will participate in the C5+1 Ministerial to 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.

The Secretary will also participate in bilateral engagements with senior officials from all C5 countries -- Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.

A US commercial delegation comprising over 200 business leaders will accompany Rubio, ushering in a new era of strengthened commercial cooperation for the United States and Central Asia.