US Secretary of State Marco Rubio left Washington on Saturday for Uzbekistan and India, his 31st overseas trip in the role, ABC News reports, carrying an Associated Press account. The visit aims to strengthen economic and security ties with Central and South Asia, but critics have suggested he is favouring lower-risk diplomacy over the administration's hardest problems, including Iran, Gaza and the war in Ukraine.
Special envoys such as Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Tom Barrack have led public efforts on those issues. Rubio, who is also national security adviser, said strategic visits to countries outside crisis zones are often neglected. The State Department rejected the criticism, saying he is closely involved behind the scenes and that much important diplomacy happens away from public view.
Source: ABC News