NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Delcy Rodriguez, the acting President of Venezuela, on Thursday, aiming to strengthen relations with the oil-rich South American nation amid global energy supply challenges.
Rudrendra Tandon, a senior official in India’s foreign ministry, shared that the discussions in New Delhi were centered around improving energy cooperation. He highlighted that Venezuela has recently become India’s third-largest supplier of crude oil.
Tandon stated that India is actively looking for new sources of crude oil and energy to enhance its energy security, emphasizing that Venezuela plays a significant role in these plans.
During their meeting, Modi and Rodriguez also looked into potential investment opportunities for Indian companies in various sectors in Venezuela, including mining, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles.
This meeting comes as India has ramped up its imports of Venezuelan crude oil, making it a more crucial supplier for the country, which is the third-largest oil importer in the world. Currently, India relies on imports for about 90% of its oil, with nearly half of these supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route that has become less accessible due to ongoing conflicts.
In addition to the meeting with Modi, Rodriguez also had discussions with India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and plans to meet Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. She is set to visit various facilities in India’s energy, pharmaceutical, and automobile sectors.
