US top diplomat Marco Rubio to visit India and Uzbekistan

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on a five-day journey starting this Saturday, as announced by the State Department. The diplomat will be visiting India and Uzbekistan, with discussions focused on energy cooperation and regional dynamics. Rubio's itinerary includes stops in Mumbai and Jamnagar, India, as well as Samarkand in Uzbekistan.

During his time in India, Rubio will engage with government officials to exchange perspectives on regional and global affairs, and explore possibilities for bolstering energy cooperation. However, recent developments have cast a shadow over US-India relations, marked by a stalled bilateral trade agreement and strained ties due to a series of disputes.

These issues include Trump's claims of facilitating an India-Pakistan ceasefire and a US military strike on a vessel off Oman that resulted in the death of three Indian seafarers. Additionally, there are concerns from New Delhi regarding US legislation that permits Trump to impose tariffs up to 100% on nations importing Russian energy, as part of Washington's strategy to exert pressure on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

India had previously slightly scaled back its purchases from Russia at the beginning of the year, but these imports have since surged, particularly in the aftermath of the US-Israeli war on Iran. The timing of Rubio's visit coincides with ongoing protests in India, sparked by the removal of 130 million voters from electoral rolls.

So far, Washington has refrained from commenting on the demonstrations. In Uzbekistan, Rubio will engage in bilateral meetings with officials from five Central Asian nations - Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan - and will lead a delegation of over 200 business leaders.