Marco Rubio meets PM Modi, pitches for exports of US energy products
Modi also received invitation to visit White House on behalf of US President Donald Trump
New Delhi, May 23: Visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here and pushed for increased exports of American energy products to India.
Rubio, who arrived here this morning on a three-day visit, also extended an invitation to Modi, on behalf of President Donald Trump, to visit the White House.
During the meeting, the US Secretary of State said the US energy products had the potential to diversify India’s energy supply.
The American push for increased exports of energy products to India comes continued disruption in supplies of such commodities from the Gulf and West Asian region because of the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran, which has resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The energy pitch comes as the US, which took control of Venezuela’s oil industry following the capture of former President Nicolas Maduro, appears eager to push Venezuelan crude back onto the global market.
“We had a productive discussion on ways to deepen US-India cooperation across security, trade, and critical technologies… India is a vital partner to the United States,” tweeted US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who was present during the meeting.
He added that PM Modi was invited to the White House in the “near future”.
Gor said the discussions also spanned the Indo-Pacific, where China has sought to assert its strength.
India has always been viewed by the US as a counterbalance to China in the crucial region.
WHAT PM MODI SAID:
In his post on X, Modi said, “We discussed sustained progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security,” PM Modi tweeted.
Issues related to regional and global peace and security were also discussed, indicating that the Iran conflict was among the topics that came up, the Prime Minister said.
“India and the United States will continue to work closely for the global good,” he added.
The Prime Minister last met Trump in February 2025 and the duo pledged to double US-India trade to $500 billion by 2030.
