US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the United States wants to sell more energy to India as Washington looks to deepen ties with New Delhi ahead of his upcoming visit to India.
Speaking to reporters in Miami before leaving for Sweden and India, Rubio said the US is ready to expand energy cooperation with India in a big way. “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.
‘There are opportunities with Venezuelan oil’
Marco Rubio will visit India from May 23 to 26 and travel across Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi during the trip. According to the US Secretary of State, discussions with India will focus on energy cooperation and trade ties. He praised India’s growing importance on the global stage and described the country as a key partner for Washington.
According to Rubio, the US wants to play a bigger role in India’s energy needs, especially at a time when countries are dealing with global energy pressures following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. “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 stated.
‘India is a great ally’
Despite trade tensions and some diplomatic rows, Rubio repeatedly called India an important partner and said there is a lot for both countries to discuss during the visit. “They are a great ally, a great partner. 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.
He also spoke about the Quad grouping, which includes India, the United States, Japan and Australia. Rubio said meetings with Quad ministers will also take place during the visit.
“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,” Rubio added.
Rubio mentions Venezuela visit
Rubio also revealed that Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez is expected to visit India next week. “In fact, it’s my understanding that the interim president of Venezuela will be travelling to India next week as well. So, there’s opportunities. There’s a lot to work on with India,” Rubio observed.
Meanwhile, Rubio also took the opportunity to slam Nato allies for not backing Washington during its war with Iran, saying several member countries refused to help the United States despite agreeing that Tehran remains a global threat.
“There are many countries in Nato that agree with us that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon, that Iran is a threat to the world,” Rubio said. Later, he went on to defend Trump’s decision to launch military action against Iran alongside Israel, saying Trump stepped in after diplomacy failed to deliver results.