14 October,2026 10:41 AM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondent
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be traveling to India next week to further improve energy cooperation, the Department of State said on Tuesday.
Rubio will first visit Samarkand in Uzbekistan, followed by traveling to Mumbai and Jamnagar in India from October 17-22, it said.
This will be Rubio's second visit to India since May, when he attended the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi.
"He will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation," the State Department stated.
Rubio also will be meeting with business leaders to increase opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation, it said.
Rubio's visit to Jamnagar is significant as it is home to Reliance's refinery, the world's largest single-site facility with a estimated capacity to process 1.4 million barrels per day of crude oil.
In March, President Donald Trump announced that the US will build its first refinery in 50 years with investment from Reliance Industries.
The refinery will be located at Brownsville in Texas at a cost of USD 300 billion, Trump said.
In Samarkand, Rubio will participate in the C5+1 Ministerial to signify how strategic cooperation through this diplomatic platform promotes a more peaceful and prosperous future for the United States and the countries of Central Asia.
The Secretary will also engage in bilateral engagements with senior officials from all C5 countries, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
A US commercial delegation comprising over 200 business leaders will accompany Rubio, bringing in a new era of strengthened commercial cooperation for the United States and Central Asia.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated his promise to distribute cheques worth $5000 to every adult citizen in the United States if Republicans secure control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections, framing the potential payout as a direct outcome of Republican economic policies.
Trump said, "I'm going to give all adult citizens in the United States of America $5000."
(With inputs from PTI)
