India Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez
NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks Thursday with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez, as India looks to secure more crude oil supplies amid disruptions from the Middle East conflict.
Rodriguez, who took office in January after US forces captured former socialist leader Nicolas Maduro, was greeted with a formal red‑carpet welcome outside Hyderabad House. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the discussions would “further strengthen our cooperation.”
India, the world’s third‑largest oil importer, has been ramping up purchases of Venezuelan crude to offset supply shocks from the war in the Middle East. Venezuela holds about 17% of global crude reserves.
“We are going to have a very productive agenda,” Rodriguez said upon arrival Wednesday, adding that she hoped to address “the most pressing needs of the Venezuelan people.”
Also Read:
