India rolled out the red carpet for Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Rodríguez to further strengthen trade relations between the oil-exporting nation and energy-dependent India.

Rodríguez leads Venezuela, a country that holds approximately 17 percent of the world’s total crude oil reserves. She took office after former socialist President Nicolás Maduro was detained by US forces last January.

Ahead of the meeting, Rodríguez shook hands with Modi outside the historic Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated, “These discussions with Modi will further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries.”

Rodríguez’s visit to India comes at a time when the world’s third-largest oil importer is increasing its crude oil imports from Venezuela to counter energy supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East.

Upon arriving in India on Wednesday, Rodríguez stated that she was anticipating highly productive discussions.

In a statement broadcast on Venezuelan television, she said, “We have a highly productive agenda ahead of us. I want to discuss areas of cooperation that will help meet the most urgent needs of the Venezuelan people.”

SR