US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks in Mumbai on Tuesday, focusing on energy security and defence cooperation amid continuing friction in bilateral relations.
The meeting took place shortly after Rubio arrived in Mumbai on a three-day visit to India, nearly five months after his first visit to the country as US Secretary of State.
Following the discussions, Rubio said the two sides had reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the India-US strategic partnership, particularly in the energy and defence sectors.
"In Mumbai, Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar and I discussed energy security and defense cooperation while reaffirming the importance of advancing the U.S.-India strategic partnership," Rubio said in a social media post.
The talks came against the backdrop of discussions over India's energy imports, particularly Russian crude oil, and efforts to diversify the country's energy sources.
Responding to questions about India's continued procurement of Russian crude, Rubio acknowledged New Delhi's efforts to diversify its energy supplies and said the US could emerge as an important source of energy for India.
According to Rubio, India has repeatedly expressed its intention to reduce dependence on individual energy sources, although such a transition cannot happen overnight. He said India had already made substantial progress towards diversifying its energy portfolio and that Washington welcomed these efforts.
Rubio also stressed that the discussions were not limited to Russian oil but covered India's broader energy security requirements. The US, he said, was interested in supplying some of India's energy needs as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Rubio added that the two countries had discussed the possibility of sourcing energy from Venezuela and other countries.
He argued that having allies whose energy supplies come from different sources would serve American interests.
Energy cooperation is also expected to feature prominently during Rubio's scheduled visit to Reliance Industries Limited's refinery in Jamnagar on Wednesday.
Explaining the purpose of the visit, Rubio highlighted India's large refining capacity and the importance of engaging directly with companies involved in processing crude oil. He said crude oil must be refined before it can be used, making refining capacity an important part of global energy security.
According to Rubio, Reliance possesses substantial refining capabilities, and discussions with the company could help Washington better understand the possibilities for energy cooperation.
He said visiting the refinery and speaking to those involved in its operations would provide a clearer picture of the opportunities available.
Rubio also highlighted India's potential role in meeting global energy demand, particularly through its ability to process heavy crude oil.
Describing India as a refining superpower, he said the country has the infrastructure and experience required to refine heavy crude, including oil from Venezuela. Rubio noted that India had previously processed such crude and could play a greater role as Venezuelan oil production increases.
He also pointed out that Indian companies already hold oil concessions in Venezuela, creating opportunities for them to increase production.
However, Rubio cautioned that Venezuelan oil alone would not be sufficient to address all the supply shortages that could arise from developments in the global energy market.
He said Venezuelan supplies could help ease shortages in the short term and potentially make a greater contribution over time.
The US Secretary of State indicated that India was willing to explore these opportunities, although certain sanctions-related obstacles would need to be addressed.
Rubio said the two countries had discussed the issue previously and that India appeared ready to participate in efforts to expand energy supplies.
It was not immediately clear whether the proposed India-US trade agreement was discussed during the meeting between Rubio and Jaishankar. However, ahead of his India visit, Rubio had said in Uzbekistan that Washington was very close to finalising a trade deal with New Delhi.
He had also suggested that the US decision to grant a tariff waiver related to Russian oil purchases was linked to the proposed agreement.
The discussions come days after US President Donald Trump suspended certain sanctions against Russia and five major buyers of Russian oil, including India.
