Govt rebuts opposition's charge, defends Jaishankar-Rubio Mumbai meet
The Indian government has defended External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's decision to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai, dismissing opposition claims that the minister was 'summoned.' Officials cited a decade-long precedent of hosting foreign dignitaries in various Indian cities to conduct diplomatic business.
Why it matters
The incident reflects the current political friction in India regarding diplomatic protocol and the optics of international relations with the United States.
NEW DELHI: Govt defended external affairs minister S Jaishankar's upcoming meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Mumbai, citing several examples of foreign leaders and ministers being hosted outside of Delhi.The ministry of external affairs also said Jaishankar would be the guest of honour at US's 250th anniversary celebrations in Mumbai.Govt had come under criticism from the opposition for US ambassador Sergio Gor's remark that the Americans expected Jaishankar to join Rubio in Mumbai, with Congress saying the minister had been "summoned".Responding to questions, the ministry said Jaishankar would host not just Rubio on Oct 20 but his UAE counterp-art, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Mumbai a day earlier."It is the practice over the last decade to host foreign dignitaries from time to time in various cities of India.
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