- US ready to sell India abundant energy, signaling cooperation growth.
- Secretary Rubio emphasizes India as a key ally and partner.
- Discussions include potential Venezuelan oil sales and energy portfolio.
- Rubio will attend Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said Washington is prepared to sell India as much energy as it is willing to purchase, underscoring growing energy cooperation between the two countries ahead of his first official visit to India.
Speaking to reporters in Miami before departing for Sweden and India, Rubio described India as a “great ally and partner” and stressed the importance of the upcoming trip, which will also include a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in New Delhi.
“We do a lot of good work with them. And so it is an important trip. I’m glad we’re able to do it because I think there’ll be a lot for us to talk about,” Rubio said.
Energy Cooperation Takes Centre Stage
Rubio’s remarks come against the backdrop of a continuing global energy crisis following the US-Iran conflict, with energy security emerging as a major theme in Washington’s engagement with New Delhi.
“Well, we want to sell them as much energy as they’ll buy. And obviously, you’ve seen I think we’re at historic levels of US production, and US export,” Rubio said while outlining America’s expanding energy ambitions.
The US Secretary of State added that Washington wants a greater role in India’s energy mix and confirmed that discussions with Indian officials on expanding cooperation are already underway.
“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.
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Venezuela Oil Talks Add New Dimension
Rubio also revealed that Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, is expected to visit India next week for discussions related to oil sales, adding a fresh geopolitical dimension to energy negotiations involving New Delhi.
His comments marked an unusual diplomatic disclosure, as the announcement regarding Rodriguez’s travel plans came directly from a US official.
The reference to Venezuelan oil comes months after US President Donald Trump first mentioned India’s potential purchases from Venezuela while announcing a broader trade agreement between Washington and New Delhi in February. That deal included a reduction in reciprocal tariffs on Indian imports to 18 per cent from 25 per cent.
The developments signal a wider push by Washington to deepen energy and trade engagement with India at a time of shifting global supply chains and geopolitical uncertainty.
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Quad Meeting in Focus During India Visit
Rubio will visit India from May 23 to May 26, with stops planned in New Delhi, Kolkata, Agra and Jaipur. The trip will focus on trade, defence, energy and regional security cooperation.
A key highlight of the visit will be the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for May 26 in New Delhi. Rubio said the grouping remains an important strategic platform for the United States.
“We’ll also meet with Quad there, which is important. I think my first meeting as Secretary of State was with the Quad. I’m glad we are able to do it now in India, and we’re going to do one later in the year as well,” he said.
The Quad meeting is expected to be attended by Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar presiding over the discussions.
Rubio’s India tour will also include a stop in Kolkata, making him the first US Secretary of State to visit the city in nearly 14 years.
The last such visit was by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012. Kolkata also houses the US Consulate General, America’s second-oldest consulate in the world.
