Marco Rubio India Visit: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday for a three-day visit to India, with trade, energy, defence and investment high on the agenda. During his visit, Rubio met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and visited the iconic Gateway of India alongside Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and US Ambassador Sergio Gor. 

This is Rubio’s second official visit to India this year, following his trip in May, when he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His visit comes as India and the US move closer to finalising a bilateral trade deal, with discussions also expected to cover energy cooperation, critical technologies and the West Asia crisis.Later in the evening, at 6:35 pm, Rubio is scheduled to attend the Freedom 250 reception at the Jio World Convention Centre. On Wednesday, Rubio is scheduled to depart from Mumbai for Jamnagar.

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Latest Updates

- In a post on X, Rubio said he discussed energy security and defence cooperation with EAM S Jaishankar during their meeting in Mumbai. He added that both sides reaffirmed the importance of strengthening and advancing the India-US strategic partnership.

- Rubio met EAM Jaishankar in Mumbai. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were also present at the meeting.

- On asked about India buying Russian oil, Rubio said India has made substantial progress in diversifying its energy sources, calling it a smart move despite the challenges of reducing dependence on Russian oil overnight.

- Rubio further said India could play an important role in meeting global energy demand, describing it as a “refining superpower” capable of processing heavy crude oil. He said, "India is a refining superpower. They have the capability to refine heavy crude. They've done so in the past, and I think as more and more Venezuelan oil comes online, it's something they can do. They also, by the way, have pre-existing oil concessions in Venezuela that can produce more themselves."

- Rubio highlighted India’s importance as a key commercial and defence partner of the US. He said India and the US should increase high-level visits and engagement, adding that the two countries need to interact more frequently.

- On impending trade deal, Rubio said the India-US trade deal is very close to being finalised with only a few issues left to resolve. Speaking in Mumbai, he expressed optimism that the agreement would be concluded soon, with an announcement and signing expected thereafter.

- Rubio interacted with the press at the Taj Memorial in Mumbai during his visit to India. He is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss key aspects of India-US relations, including the proposed bilateral trade deal, defence cooperation, energy and other areas of mutual interest.

- Rubio’s first stop after landing in Mumbai was the iconic Gateway of India which he visited along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and US Ambassador Sergio Gor.

- Rubio is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai to discuss ways to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

- Ahead of his visit, Rubio said the US was “very close” to finalising a trade deal with India. EAM Jaishankar has also indicated that the negotiations are nearing a “landing point”.

- The two sides are expected to discuss trade, energy, investment, defence and critical and emerging technologies, along with other areas of mutual interest.

- Rubio landed in Mumbai at 2:15 pm on Tuesday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

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