India, the United States and the United Arab Emirates reinforced their growing strategic partnership on Tuesday as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a trilateral meeting in Mumbai on 20th of October 2026.
Describing the discussions as a “useful exchange of perspectives”, Jaishankar said the three leaders reviewed cooperation in key areas including energy, connectivity and evolving regional developments.
The meeting highlighted the increasing importance of the India-US-UAE framework, which has emerged as a platform for advancing cooperation in trade, technology, infrastructure, energy security and strategic connectivity across the broader Indo-Pacific and West Asian regions.
On the sidelines of the trilateral engagement, Jaishankar also held separate talks with Rubio, focusing on strengthening India-US cooperation in trade, energy, emerging technologies, defence and people-to-people exchanges.
The two leaders additionally exchanged views on regional security challenges, including developments in West Asia.
Jaishankar’s bilateral meeting with Sheikh Abdullah underscored the rapid expansion of India-UAE ties.
Noting that bilateral trade has crossed the $100 billion mark since the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the minister said cooperation in defence, energy and technology is increasingly acquiring a strategic character.
He said rising two-way investments and stronger people-to-people ties reflect growing confidence in the partnership, which continues to advance despite global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
