Marco Rubio India visit LIVE updates: Rubio to visit Jamnagar refinery today, trip to focus on global energy security
Marco Rubio India visit LIVE updates: US secretary of state Marco Rubio will visit the Reliance Industries-owned Jamnagar Refinery in Gujarat on Wednesday, with a focus on global energy security. The US is looking to ask Reliance Industries to refine more Venezuelan crude as America seeks to bring additional supplies to a market rattled by the Iran conflict, reported Bloomberg.The refinery is the largest in the country, with an installed capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day.Rubio is on a two-day visit to India.
On the first day of his visit, October 20, he met India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai. The two reviewed bilateral cooperation, focusing on energy and defence, as Rubio urged India to increase energy trade with the US and step up purchases of American technologies and systems.This is Rubio’s second visit to India in less than five months, and he is accompanied by a large business delegation.Following the meeting, Jaishankar said in a social media post that the two sides discussed ways to further advance their ties, with a focus on “trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people ties”.
They also exchanged views on regional developments.According to a readout issued by the US State Department spokesperson, Rubio urged India to increase its purchases of American energy, technologies, and military and nuclear equipment.Rubio “reiterated that increased energy trade with the United States can play a transformative role in diversifying India’s supply chains while meeting its sizable consumer demand,” the readout said.He also commended progress in bilateral defence and civil nuclear cooperation and “advocated for the increased purchase of US technologies and systems, which can enhance the security and prosperity of both our countries”.
