Mumbai, Oct 20: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai as part of his two-day visit to India, with bilateral ties, trade and energy cooperation expected to figure prominently in discussions, national media reported.
Rubio also paid tribute to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks at the memorial inside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who accompanied him, said the visit honoured the courage of Indian security forces.
“The United States and India remain resolute in confronting terrorism in all its forms,” Gor said in a post on X.
Marco Rubio, who also visited the iconic Gateway of India with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, called for more high-level exchanges between the two countries, describing India as a strong strategic partner with close commercial and defence ties.
He said India had made “substantial progress” in diversifying its energy sources and described its efforts to broaden its energy portfolio as a “smart thing to do”.
Rubio said Washington was willing to supply some of India’s energy needs and that the two sides had discussed Venezuela and other potential sources.
His visit comes as New Delhi and Washington work towards a trade agreement amid differences over tariffs and India’s purchases of Russian oil. Rubio is also scheduled to visit Reliance Industries’ refinery complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Wednesday.
