New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai on October 20 for talks aimed at expanding cooperation between India and the United States, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday. The discussions will focus on strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership amid ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two countries. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the meeting during his regular media briefing when asked about Jaishankar's engagements in Mumbai next week.
"On October 19-20, 2026, the external affairs minister will host in Mumbai the deputy prime minister and the foreign minister of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for an official visit," Jaiswal said.
He added that Jaishankar would meet Rubio on October 20 and participate as the Guest of Honour in celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
According to Jaiswal, the meeting will provide an opportunity for New Delhi and Washington to explore further cooperation under their Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
The announcement follows remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Thursday, where he confirmed Rubio's planned engagements with Indian officials.
Gor said the US secretary of state would meet government representatives in Mumbai, adding, "We expect that minister Dr S Jaishankar will be there."
Earlier this week, the US Department of State announced Rubio's visit to India as part of efforts to deepen bilateral energy cooperation.
According to the itinerary released on Tuesday, Rubio will undertake a visit from October 17 to 22, beginning in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, before travelling to Mumbai and Jamnagar in India.
The Mumbai meeting will bring together the two foreign ministers for discussions on bilateral priorities during Rubio's visit.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.