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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India for talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, with trade, energy and defence cooperation high on the agenda.
A trade deal, finally?: the long-running India-US trade negotiations were back in focus. Rubio said an agreement was “very, very close”, with only a few issues left to resolve. He expressed optimism that the two countries would reach a deal soon, calling India an important commercial and strategic partner.
Why Venezuelan oil came up: Rubio called India a ‘refining superpower’, saying its refineries could process more Venezuelan crude as supplies increase.
Venezuela produces heavy crude, which requires specialised refining facilities. Rubio said Indian refineries had processed it before, while Indian companies already held rights to extract oil in Venezuela, creating opportunities to increase production.
He also said he would explore whether Reliance could refine more Venezuelan oil, pointing to its large refining capacity and previous experience with the country’s crude.
However, Rubio cautioned that Venezuelan oil alone could not cover potential global supply shortages. It could offer some relief in the short term and contribute more over time.
What did the leaders discuss: Jaishankar met Rubio in Mumbai on Tuesday. In a post on X, he said they discussed expanding cooperation in trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people ties, along with regional developments.
FYI: Rubio last visited Delhi in May this year, when he attended the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
