Venezuela and India have agreed on cooperation in energy, reported acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday — the day after the country opened its oil industry to private investment, LETA writes, citing AFP.
Rodriguez stated that in a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they "discussed strategic cooperation in energy."
The acting president wrote in the Telegram app that during this conversation, they also discussed partnerships in agriculture, science and technology, mining, and tourism, as well as in pharmaceuticals and the automotive industry.
Modi announced on the X platform that he and Rodriguez "agreed to further deepen and expand our bilateral partnership in all areas with a shared vision of elevating Indian-Venezuelan relations to a new height in the coming years."
Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. This week, the country enacted legislative reforms to open this sector to private investment.
Venezuela was one of the main oil suppliers to India until 2025, when U.S. President Donald Trump tightened American sanctions against Venezuela.
Since the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was overthrown on January 3, Trump has been pressuring Caracas to open its oil fields to U.S. investors. He agreed to cooperate with Rodriguez if she ensures U.S. access to Venezuelan oil.
Trump stated that Washington now "controls" Venezuela and that Rodriguez will "deliver" millions of barrels of oil to the U.S. for sale at market price.
Rodriguez has already received $300 million from the first sale of Venezuelan oil to the United States — to support the national currency, the Bolívar.
She has also negotiated with leaders from Spain, Brazil, and Colombia to develop diplomatic and economic ties.
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