New Delhi, 16 October (H.S.): External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar will host United Arab Emirates (UAE) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mumbai on October 19 and 20. Jaishankar will subsequently hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and attend a ceremony marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his regular press briefing on Friday that hosting foreign dignitaries in Mumbai was in keeping with a decade-old tradition of receiving international guests outside New Delhi. He also referred to previous visits and engagements held in different parts of the country.

Randhir Jaiswal said Jaishankar would host the UAE foreign minister on an official visit to Mumbai on October 19 and 20. On October 20, Jaishankar would hold discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and attend the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence as a distinguished guest.

It is noteworthy that opposition leaders had raised questions about the choice of venue for the meeting with Rubio.

Explaining the tradition of hosting foreign dignitaries outside the national capital, Jaiswal said, “For nearly a decade, we have followed the practice of hosting foreign secretaries outside Delhi. The Prime Minister hosted the Prime Minister of Spain in Vadodara. He hosted Chancellor Merz in Ahmedabad. He hosted the Prime Minister of Mauritius in Varanasi, and subsequently, the External Affairs Minister hosted a meeting of foreign ministers in Goa. He hosted the Foreign Minister of Botswana in Kevadia, Gujarat, and the External Affairs Minister also hosted the Heart of Asia conference in Amritsar.”

Referring to the US Secretary of State’s visit, the spokesperson said it would provide both sides with an opportunity to review India-US relations and discuss ways to further strengthen their comprehensive global strategic partnership.

On the proposed bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States, Randhir Jaiswal said, “Both sides are working towards concluding the bilateral trade agreement at the earliest.”

He added that the discussions were expected to cover key areas of bilateral cooperation, including energy, trade, investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies, and other matters of mutual interest. The two sides would also exchange views on regional and global developments. The visit would provide an opportunity to sustain high-level engagement between the two countries and advance their shared priorities.

Randhir Jaiswal also criticised US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s remarks on India’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing them as “unnecessary and ill-advised” interference. He said her comments amounted to interference in the electoral processes of a democracy, adding that such an approach undermined democracy itself.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar