Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 20 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterised India as a refining superpower on Tuesday, announcing that the American delegation would engage in discussions with Reliance regarding oil production in Venezuela.
Addressing the media in Mumbai after arriving for a three-day visit, Rubio evaluated India’s capacity to address global energy demand, stating, “India is a refining superpower. They have the capability to refine heavy crude. They’ve done so in the past, and I think as more and more Venezuelan oil comes online, it’s something they can do.”
“They also, by the way, have pre-existing oil concessions in Venezuela that can produce more themselves,” Rubio informed reporters in Mumbai.
Describing these developments as positive, he observed that they were all constructive measures.
“I’m not claiming to you that Venezuela alone can fill the hole that could be caused by some of the things that are happening around the world, but I think over time, it most certainly can, and in the short term, it can certainly help,” he remarked.
“So, that’s one of the things we’ll talk about. With India, we’ve talked about it in the past, and they sound ready. They’re willing to do it. There might be a few impediments that stand in the way in terms of sanctions and so forth that we’ll have to work through,” he added.
Furthermore, Rubio mentioned that the US delegation would discuss oil production in Venezuela with Reliance, noting that India had made significant progress in diversifying its petroleum procurement, which constitutes a prudent measure. (ANI)
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