External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold talks in Mumbai on October 20 to discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced the meeting during his bi-weekly media briefing, confirming that Jaishankar would meet Rubio during the US secretary of state's visit to India.
“The meeting between External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Secretary of State Rubio will allow both sides to discuss ways to bolster the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” Jaiswal said.
Jaishankar will also host UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mumbai on October 19 and 20 for an official visit. On October 20, he will attend celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence as a Guest of Honour, Jaiswal said.
Earlier, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Rubio would meet Indian government officials in Mumbai and that Jaishankar was expected to be present.
The US Department of State said on Tuesday that Rubio would visit India from October 17 to 22 to strengthen energy cooperation. His itinerary includes Samarkand in Uzbekistan, followed by Mumbai and Jamnagar in India.
(With inputs from PTI)