US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Mumbai on three-day India visit

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Mumbai for a three-day visit to India. He is said to be holding an important bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during the visit, with the talks expected to focus on strengthening ties between the two countries.

The visit comes as India and the US are very close to finalising a bilateral trade agreement that has been stalled for a long time. For this reason, Rubio's visit is being seen as highly significant.

According to information from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Rubio will pay tribute to the victims of terrorism at an event at the Taj Memorial at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. He will then hold bilateral talks with Jaishankar at the same venue.

In the evening, Rubio will also attend the "Freedom 250" welcome ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. On Wednesday he will travel to Jamnagar, an important energy hub in Gujarat. The talks are likely to focus on speeding up the trade agreement, as well as sensitive issues such as the world's energy needs and oil imports from Russia.

On arrival in Mumbai, Rubio was accompanied by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Rubio's wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio. Before the scheduled programme, Rubio and Gor also visited the Gateway of India with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Gor shared a photograph of Rubio's landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and wrote, "Great to be back in Mumbai, this time with my friend Marco Rubio. Hope the visit proves fruitful and further strengthens US-India relations."

Gor thanked the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office for hosting Rubio at the Gateway of India. He wrote that more than 500 American companies operate in Maharashtra and that the two sides have deep investment ties. According to Gor, he hopes to carry this legacy forward to expand trade, attract investment and create new opportunities for people.