External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to host two significant diplomatic engagements in Mumbai on 19-20 October, welcoming UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and holding talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as India intensifies high-level outreach with key strategic partners.

The Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar will host Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during an official visit to India on 19 and 20 October. The visit is expected to provide an opportunity for both countries to comprehensively review progress made under the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Discussions between the two sides will focus on advancing cooperation across a broad range of sectors, including energy, trade, investment, fintech, defence and connectivity.

The leaders are also expected to exchange views on developments in West Asia, alongside regional, global and multilateral issues of shared concern.

The UAE minister's visit comes shortly after Jaishankar's own visit to the UAE from 14-16 October, where he held meetings with the Emirati leadership and participated in the Raisina Middle East forum, underscoring the growing momentum in bilateral relations.

On 20 October, Jaishankar will hold discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai and will also attend celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States as Guest of Honour.

According to the MEA, the meeting will enable both sides to review the full spectrum of India-US relations and chart new avenues for strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

The talks are expected to cover strategic sectors such as energy, trade, investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies, as well as other areas of mutual interest.

India and the United States are also expected to exchange views on major regional and global developments, with the visit aimed at maintaining the momentum of high-level political engagement and advancing shared priorities.

The US State Department has announced that Rubio will travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar as part of his India visit. His engagements are expected to include discussions on enhanced energy cooperation, meetings with senior Indian officials and interactions with business leaders to promote commercial investment and broader economic collaboration.

The upcoming diplomatic engagements highlight India's continued emphasis on strengthening ties with both Washington and Abu Dhabi, two of its most important strategic and economic partners.

Responding to questions over why Mumbai was selected as the venue instead of New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that India has regularly hosted visiting foreign leaders in cities outside the national capital over the past decade.

He cited several examples, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosting the Prime Minister of Spain in Baroda, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad and the Prime Minister of Mauritius in Varanasi.

Jaiswal also pointed to the SCO Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Goa, the Botswana Foreign Minister's visit to Kevadia and the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar as examples of important diplomatic engagements conducted outside Delhi.

The Mumbai meetings are expected to reinforce India's expanding strategic partnerships with both the UAE and the United States while further deepening cooperation in energy security, economic engagement, technology collaboration, regional connectivity and defence cooperation.

ANI