Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 20 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday extended a warm welcome to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio upon his arrival in Mumbai for his second visit to India, observing that the visit presents an opportunity to deepen collaboration across multiple sectors of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Rubio is travelling alongside his spouse, Jeanette Rubio, and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.
In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “Welcome to Mumbai, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on your second visit to India! He was received by Shri Ashish Shelar, Minister of Culture, Electronics, IT and AI, Government of Maharashtra, at the airport. The visit provides an opportunity to further advance cooperation across the various pillars of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.”
Ambassador Gor expressed his enthusiasm for a fruitful visit and for strengthening bilateral relations.
“Great to be back in Mumbai, this time with my friend US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Looking forward to a productive visit and to advancing U.S.-India ties,” Gor posted on X.
Later today, Rubio is scheduled to hold talks with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, with discussions anticipated to address crucial facets of bilateral cooperation, such as energy, trade, investment, defence, critical emerging technologies and other matters of mutual concern.
Addressing reporters during a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi last week, the MEA spokesperson noted that Rubio and EAM Jaishankar would additionally deliberate on regional and international developments.
“In so far as the visit of the Secretary of State is concerned, this forthcoming visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review India-US relations and discuss ways to further strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership that we have with the United States. Discussions are expected to cover key areas of our bilateral cooperation, including energy, trade, investment, defence, critical emerging technologies, and other areas of mutual interest. The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments. The visit will provide an opportunity to sustain the high-level engagement between the two countries and advance our shared priorities,” Jaiswal stated.
Following the conclusion of his engagements in Mumbai, Rubio will proceed to Jamnagar in Gujarat for talks centring on “enhanced energy cooperation”, as indicated by the US State Department. (ANI)
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