Washington, May 22 (ANI) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Washington is actively pursuing a significant expansion of energy cooperation with India, and that the issue will be a central focus during his forthcoming official visit to New Delhi.
Speaking to reporters in Miami as he departed for Sweden and India, Rubio praised India’s international standing and expressed eagerness to deepen bilateral trade ties. “We want to sell them as much energy as they’ll buy,” he said, noting that U.S. production and exports are at historic levels.
Rubio’s India trip will take him to several major cities — Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi — from May 23 to 26. During the visit he plans high-level meetings aimed at broadening the energy relationship and bolstering India’s energy security through multiple international channels.
The Secretary of State emphasized Washington’s readiness to increase India’s share of U.S. energy supplies and discussed potential opportunities involving Venezuelan oil. “We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more. We want them to be a bigger part of their portfolio. We also think there are opportunities with Venezuelan oil,” Rubio said.
He also pointed to the broader strategic context, including India’s handling of global energy challenges after disruptions such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and said the two countries have room to expand cooperation to address such pressures.
Rubio highlighted the institutional links between the two democracies and the role of plurilateral forums. He said his itinerary in India will include meetings with ministers from the Quad grouping and noted the importance of that partnership. “They are a great ally, a great partner. We do a lot of good work with them,” he said, adding that he had previously met with the Quad in his first days as Secretary of State and expects further meetings later this year.
In related diplomatic developments, Rubio said he understood that Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, is scheduled to visit India next week, which he described as an additional opening for cooperation.
(This article is based on a syndicated feed from ANI and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.)
