Marco Rubio to commence three-day visit to India; trade deal, talks with Jaishankar on agenda

New Delhi [India], October 20 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to arrive in Mumbai on Tuesday for an official visit to India, carrying momentum from fresh diplomatic discussions in Central Asia and signalling that a long-awaited US-India trade agreement is on the verge of finalisation. During his visit, which includes a bilateral meeting with Foreign 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), Secretary Rubio will arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on the afternoon of Tuesday at 14:15 hrs. Shortly after his arrival, Secretary Rubio will pay tribute to victims of terror during a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Taj Memorial inside the historic Hotel Taj Mahal Palace at 15:40 hrs. Following the ceremony, the US Secretary of State will hold crucial bilateral discussions with EAM Jaishankar at the same venue starting at 15:50 hrs. The dialogue is expected to cover key aspects of the India-US strategic partnership, economic cooperation, and regional stability. Later in the evening, Secretary Rubio is scheduled to attend the 'Freedom 250 Reception' at the Jio World Convention Centre at 18:35 hrs, celebrating key milestones in US history and bilateral diplomatic ties. Media access for the reception is being facilitated through the US Embassy and Consulate. On Wednesday, October 21, Secretary Rubio will complete the Mumbai leg of his visit and emplane for Jamnagar, Gujarat, departing from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 10:30 hrs to continue his engagements. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that official media coverage and photo opportunities will be regulated per standard diplomatic protocol across the various venues. Earlier on Monday, Rubio indicated that the US-India trade deal is close to finalisation. Rubio, who is in Uzbekistan, will be in Mumbai on Tuesday, where he will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Rubio 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 finalise 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 finalise 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 US President Donald Trump waived several sanctions related to Russian fuel sales that were 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 putting any tariffs or sanctions in place. The law, now paused, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% on goods brought into the US 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 analyse 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 that the US President was also taking into account the changing geopolitical situation since the Lindsey Graham bill was brought into law, especially with the increase in conflict between 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 authorises 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 on Monday, Rubio said he 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 are part of its broader resource base. (ANI)