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Rudrendra Tandon, a senior official in India’s foreign ministry,
said the talks held in New Delhi focused on strengthening energy
cooperation. He said Venezuela had become India’s third-largest
crude oil supplier in recent weeks.
Tandon said India is “aggressively seeking new sources of crude
oil and energy to strengthen its energy security,” adding that
Venezuela represents an “opportunity and is very much part of
our plans.”
Modi and Rodriguez also explored opportunities for Indian
companies to invest in Venezuela's sectors including mining,
critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and automobiles, he said.
The meeting comes as India has increased imports of Venezuelan
crude in recent months, making the South American country a more
important supplier for the world’s third-largest oil importer.
India imports about 90% of its oil. Around half of those
supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route
effectively closed by the Iran war.
Rodriguez also met India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam
Jaishankar, on Thursday and is scheduled to hold talks with
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. She is also expected to
visit facilities in India’s energy, pharmaceutical and
automobile sectors.
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