India today stated that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of the government. Briefing media in New Delhi this afternoon, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that diversifying the country’s energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of the government’s strategy to ensure this. He said all of India’s actions are taken and will be taken with this in mind.
Replying to a query on Venezuelan oil, Mr Jaiswal said Venezuela has been a long-standing partner of India in the energy sector encompassing trade and investments. He added that the country was among India’s major sources of crude oil until 2019-20, which were discontinued following sanctions. Imports from Venezuela resumed in 2023-24, before being halted again due to the re-imposition of sanctions. The spokesperson said Indian PSUs have had a partnership with Venezuela’s National Oil Company and have been maintaining a presence in Venezuela since 2008. The spokesperson said that consistent with India’s approach to energy security, India remains open to exploring the commercial merits of any new crude supply options, including from Venezuela.
