New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will host counterparts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States (US) in Mumbai on October 19-20 and also attend the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the US as a Guest of Honour, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the meeting between EAM Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be an opportunity to review all facets of bilateral cooperation and discuss the situation in West Asia, as well as global and multilateral issues.

"On 19th and 20th October 2026, External Affairs Minister will host in Mumbai the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of UAE, His Highness Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for an official visit. On 20th October, External Affairs Minister will hold talks with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and attend the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America as the Guest of Honour," Jaiswal said when asked about EAM Jaishankar's upcoming meetings.

"The visit of the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will be an opportunity to review all facets of bilateral cooperation under the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two delegations will assess and take forward initiatives in the areas of energy, trade, investments, fintech, defence, and connectivity. There will naturally be an opportunity also for a detailed exchange on the situation in West Asia, as well as on global and other multilateral issues," he added.

Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to India comes after EAM Jaishankar travelled to UAE on an official visit from October 14-16, where he held talks with the country's leadership and also attended the Raisina Middle East event.

The MEA spokesperson stated that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's upcoming visit to India will provide an opportunity for both sides to review bilateral ties and discuss ways to further strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

"In so far as the visit of the Secretary of State is concerned, this forthcoming visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review India-US relations and discuss ways to further strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership that we have with the United States. Discussions are expected to cover key areas of our bilateral cooperation, including energy, trade, investment, defence, critical 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," he said.

Rubio will be visiting Mumbai and Jamnagar next week for talks that will include "enhanced energy cooperation", the US State Department said. During his visit, Rubio 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. According to the US State Department, he will also meet with business leaders to promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation.

When asked about the choice of Mumbai as a venue for EAM Jaishankar's bilateral engagements, Jaiswal responded: "It has been the practice for the last decade or so that we have hosted foreign dignitaries outside Delhi. To just give you some example, Prime Minister hosted the Prime Minister of Spain in Baroda. He hosted Chancellor Merz in Ahmedabad. Prime Minister of Mauritius was hosted by him in Varanasi, and the External Affairs Minister hosted the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Goa. He hosted the Foreign Minister of Botswana in Kevadia in Gujarat, and the External Affairs Minister also hosted the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar. So, that was just to give you few examples of the meetings of leaders, of dignitaries that have happened outside of Delhi."

--IANS

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