JAKARTA - India is expanding energy cooperation with the United States as supplies from the Middle East are overshadowed by the Strait of Hormuz blockade. For New Delhi, energy supplies are an important issue because they concern the needs of 1.4 billion people.
According to a report by Anadolu Agency quoted on Monday, May 25, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar conveyed this after receiving US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in bilateral talks in New Delhi, Sunday.
"We discussed the issue of energy. The main responsibility of our government is to meet the needs of 1.4 billion people. Ensuring that energy remains available and affordable is our main goal," said Jaishankar.
He welcomed the expansion of India-US energy trade in recent months. According to him, diverse supplies are key to India's energy security.
Relations between India and the US have been heated by President Donald Trump's tariff policy. One of the triggers is India's purchase of Russian oil amid the Ukraine war.
Rubio, in a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the day before, said US and Venezuelan energy products could help India diversify its supplies.
India was also one of Iran's major oil importers. Imports were halted in 2019 after US sanctions, but resumed this year after Washington granted an exemption amid the conflict with Tehran.
Jaishankar said India wants energy prices to come down as the country is a big energy importer.
"We strongly support safe and unimpeded maritime trade through the region," he said.
The statement referred to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the midst of the Iran war. The Strait of Hormuz is an important route for the shipment of oil and gas from the Middle East to Asia. Many Asian countries, including India, rely on this route.
Jaishankar said India wants the energy market to remain open and unrestricted. He said India has relations with many parties, including Russia, Europe, Ukraine, and the United States.
"The question is how to manage it all," he said.
Rubio, as reported by Anadolu, said the US and India would also complete a trade agreement that he called durable, beneficial to both parties, and in accordance with their respective national interests.
Apart from energy, Jaishankar also discussed visas. He said he had conveyed the challenges faced by Indian legitimate travelers in issuing visas.
According to Jaishankar, India continues to cooperate in dealing with illegal mobility. However, legal mobility should not be affected.
Rubio also answered questions about alleged racist comments against Indian residents in the US.
"There are people who make comments online and elsewhere because every country in the world has idiots," Rubio said.
He emphasized that the US remains a country that is open to immigrants.
"Our nation is enriched by people who come from all over the world," he said.
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