US Secretary Marco Rubio to land in India on Oct 17, visit Reliance refinery in Gujarat

Rubio will first travel to Samarkand in Uzbekistan before visiting Mumbai and Jamnagar in India. (file)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India and Uzbekistan from October 17 to 22 to strengthen strategic ties, promote commercial investment and discuss enhanced energy cooperation, the US Department of State said on Tuesday.

Rubio will first travel to Samarkand in Uzbekistan before visiting Mumbai and Jamnagar in India. During his India visit, he will meet senior government officials to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global developments, and explore opportunities to expand energy cooperation, PTI reported.

He will also meet business leaders to promote commercial investment and economic cooperation, the Department of State said.

Why is the visit significant?

Rubio’s visit to Jamnagar is significant as the city is home to Reliance Industries’ refinery, the world’s largest single-site refining complex, with a capacity to process 1.4 million barrels of crude oil per day.

In March, US President Donald Trump announced plans to build the country’s first new oil refinery in 50 years, with investment from Reliance Industries. Trump said the refinery would be located in Brownsville, Texas, at a cost of USD 300 billion.

Before travelling to India, Rubio will participate in the C5+1 Ministerial in Samarkand. The meeting will highlight how strategic cooperation through the diplomatic platform can help promote a more peaceful and prosperous future for the United States and Central Asian countries.

Rubio will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from all five Central Asian countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.

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A US commercial delegation comprising more than 200 business leaders will accompany Rubio, signalling a push to deepen commercial ties between the United States and Central Asia.