NEW DELHI: The Union government reiterated that energy security remains its overriding priority and said that it remains open to sourcing crude oil from Venezuela and other suppliers, depending on commercial viability.
This comes after the US claiming that New Delhi has agreed to stop buying Russian oil as part of a broader trade understanding.
The Centre, however, stopped short of confirming any automatic shift away from Russian crude.
“There is a history of engagement with Venezuela. We have a long-standing energy partnership with them, and we remain open to exploring options for the availability of crude oil from Venezuela and other places, depending on its commercial viability,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press briefing.
Jaiswal underlined that Venezuela has been a long-standing energy partner for India on both trade and investment fronts.
India imported crude oil from Venezuela until 2019-20, when US sanctions forced a halt. Purchases briefly resumed in 2023–24 before being suspended again after sanctions were reimposed.
Responding to Trump’s claim that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil, Jaiswal stressed that decisions on energy imports are driven solely by national interest.
“The government has stated publicly on several occasions that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of our government,” he said.
“Diversifying our energy source in keeping with the objective of market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy. All of India’s decisions were taken and will be taken based on it,” he added.
Trump earlier this week claimed that India had already agreed to shift away from Russian oil. “We have already made a deal. India is coming in, and they are going to be buying Venezuelan oil,” he said, following the announcement of a trade agreement between the two countries.
Following President Trump, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also claimed India had committed to ending Russian oil imports after talks between Trump and Modi.
Washington has been urging India to consider Venezuelan oil as part of its efforts to curb revenue flows to Moscow amid the Ukraine conflict.
India, however, has made no public commitment to halting Russian oil imports.
Prime Minister Modi later confirmed the trade deal, under which the US agreed to cut tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent, but made no reference to changes in energy sourcing.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez spoke with Modi on Friday to discuss expanding cooperation in energy, trade, and investment.
Both sides agreed to work towards taking bilateral ties to new heights in the coming years.
