NEW DELHI: Govt defended external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s upcoming meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Mumbai, citing several examples of foreign leaders and ministers being hosted outside of Delhi.The ministry of external affairs also said Jaishankar would be the guest of honour at US’s 250th anniversary celebrations in Mumbai.Govt had come under criticism from the opposition for US ambassador Sergio Gor’s remark that the Americans expected Jaishankar to join Rubio in Mumbai, with Congress saying the minister had been “summoned”.Responding to questions, the ministry said Jaishankar would host not just Rubio on Oct 20 but his UAE counterp-art, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Mumbai a day earlier.“It is the practice over the last decade to host foreign dignitaries from time to time in various cities of India. The PM hosted the PM of Spain in Baroda; Chancellor Merz in Ahmedabad; the PM of Mauritius in Varanasi. The EAM hosted the SCO FMs meeting Goa; the FM of Botswana in Kevadia; Heart of Asia conference in Amritsar,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.He further said Rubio’s visit would provide an opportunity for both sides to review India-US relations and discuss ways to further strengthen Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Discussions are expected to cover key areas of bilateral cooperation, including energy, trade and investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies, and other areas of mutual interest.“The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments. The visit will provide an opportunity to sustain the high-level engagement between the two countries and advance our shared priorities,” said Jaiswal.
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After his “productive” meeting with the UAE minister Thursday, Jaishankar will have another meeting with Al Nahyan Monday. Jaishankar visited UAE this week. The ministers will review bilateral cooperation under India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. “The delegations will assess and take forward initiatives in the areas of energy, trade and investments, fintech, defence and connectivity,” said the official.The ministers discussed West Asia and the Strait of Hormuz situation. “Exchanged perspectives on bilateral and global issues in the spirit of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” said Jaishankar in a post on X.