US top diplomat Marco Rubio to visit Uzbekistan and India

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will depart on Saturday on a five-day trip to India and Uzbekistan, the State Department said, adding that he will discuss energy cooperation in India.



Rubio will travel to Samarkand in Uzbekistan and to Mumbai and Jamnagar in India, the statement added.



In India, Rubio will meet government officials to "exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation."

Indian and American officials indicated earlier this month that long-running efforts to finalize a bilateral trade agreement have stalled again.



US-India ties have been rocky this past year over issues including President Donald Trump's repeated claim of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire and a US military attack on a ship off Oman that killed three Indian seafarers.



New Delhi has also raised concerns over US legislation allowing Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that purchase Russian energy, part of Washington's efforts to pressure Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.



In Uzbekistan, Rubio will participate in bilateral engagements with officials from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, and lead a delegation of over 200 business leaders.