US Secretary of State skips New Delhi for Mumbai visit to India

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 19 Oct, 13:43 · Archive

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting India this week but will skip the capital, New Delhi, meeting officials in Mumbai instead.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting India this week but will skip New Delhi, instead meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Mumbai on Monday. He will then visit Jamnagar in Gujarat to see the world's largest single-site oil refinery, operated by Reliance Industries, and attend a reception hosted by the Ambani family.

The itinerary has sparked political controversy in India. Opposition leaders have accused the government of allowing India's top diplomat to be 'summoned' on home soil after the US ambassador said Washington expected Jaishankar to travel to meet Rubio. Rubio was previously in the Indian capital in May for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Quad, a group of the US, India, Japan and Australia.

The visit comes as relations between the two countries remain strained over trade, tariffs and India's purchases of Russian oil. Officials are expected to discuss the US-India strategic partnership, energy cooperation, trade, investment, defence, and critical and emerging technologies. The refinery Rubio will visit can process 1.4 million barrels of crude oil a day and has been a major buyer of Russian Urals crude.

How it is being reported

• Marco Rubio visits India this week, with a visit to the world's largest oil refinery topping the agendaA visit to India this week by Washington's top diplomat will skip New Delhi and instead include the world's largest oil refinery that processes massive amounts of Russian crude. Is Trump looking for a new deal?DW News · 19 Oct, 13:31
• Marco Rubio visits India this week, with a trip to the world's largest oil refinery topping the agendaA visit to India this week by Washington's top diplomat will skip New Delhi and instead include the world's largest oil refinery that processes massive amounts of Russian crude. Is Trump looking for a new deal?DW News · 19 Oct, 13:31
• Why Marco Rubio’s visit to Mumbai has ruffled feathers in IndiaUS secretary of state is skipping New Delhi, and opposition leaders complain his arrangements are humiliating.Al Jazeera · 18 Oct, 06:16

In this story: Marco Rubio · Subrahmanyam Jaishankar · Narendra Modi · Mukesh Ambani · India · New Delhi · Mumbai · Reliance Industries

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem