What else does Marco Rubio have in store for Indian foreign policy?: Jairam Ramesh on state visit of Venezuelan President to India
In a post on “On May 10, 2025, at 5:37 pm, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the first to announce the discontinuation of Operation Sindoor. Yesterday, Mr. Rubio was the first to announce that the Venezuelan President will visit India next week. This was even before India and Venezuela hinted or confirmed the news,” Ramesh said.
The visit, which was intended to introduce the Venezuelan president as the guest of honor at the inaugural International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) summit, has now become controversial.
Read More: Venezuela third largest crude oil supplier to India in May
The environment ministry confirmed late Thursday that the June 1-2 summit has been postponed indefinitely due to the rapid escalation of the Bundibugyo virus (Ebola) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The decision, taken in consultation with the African Union, reflects a stark reality: the global health crisis has effectively limited the summit’s high-level participants.
“It has been revealed that the President of Venezuela was expected to attend the launch of the International Big Cat Alliance in New Delhi next week. However, this was postponed due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Africa,” Ramesh said.
Expressing doubts about the timing and nature of the statement, the senior leader questioned the US’s dimension regarding India’s foreign policy: “What else does the US Secretary of State have in store for India’s foreign policy?” said Ramesh.
Ramesh’s remarks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was actively seeking to expand energy cooperation with New Delhi. Rubio also confirmed that this strategic partnership will be the focus of his official visit to India.
Read More: Congress’s Jairam Ramesh criticizes Modi government for ‘4C Policy’ towards China and expresses concerns over Greater Nicobar project
The high-profile itinerary will see Rubio traveling through major Indian cities, including Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi, between May 23-26.
Praising India’s important position on the global stage, the top US diplomat expressed a strong desire to expand bilateral trade ties. “We want to sell them as much energy as they will buy. And frankly, I think we’re at historic levels of U.S. production and U.S. exports,” Rubio told reporters in Miami as he embarked on a trip to Sweden and India. he said.
Therefore, as a reflection of India’s increasing diplomatic centrality and its key role in driving complex global energy dynamics, Rubio shared that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez will also visit India next week, opening new avenues of cooperation.
“Actually, as I understand it, the interim president of Venezuela will also go to India next week. So there are opportunities. There are a lot of things to work on with India,” Rubio said.
In addition, the Foreign Secretary underlined Washington’s willingness to strengthen India’s energy security portfolio through various international channels and acknowledged that New Delhi is proactively managing global energy pressures arising from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more. We want them to be a bigger part of their portfolio. We also think there are opportunities in Venezuelan oil,” Rubio said.
