US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday pitched Venezuelan crude as an additional source for India’s energy needs, highlighting the country’s vast refining capacity and urging greater cooperation with Washington to diversify energy supplies.Speaking to the media ahead of his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai, Rubio said Indian companies could process more Venezuelan oil as production increased, potentially helping ease pressure on global supplies amid disruptions in energy markets.He said he would discuss the opportunities with Reliance Industries during his visit to its Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat on Wednesday. Reliance had refined heavy crude in the past and had also held oil concessions in Venezuela, he said.“India’s a refining superpower,” Rubio said, pointing to the country’s ability to process heavy crude. He, however, cautioned that Venezuelan oil alone could not fill any shortfall in global supplies, though it could provide some relief in the short term and contribute more over time.Rubio acknowledged that existing US sanctions on Venezuela could pose obstacles that Washington would need to work through. He said the meeting with Reliance would help identify the company’s concerns and the opportunities available.Describing energy as a national security issue, Rubio said shortages could destabilise economies and countries could go to war over access to resources. He said a broader range of energy suppliers would benefit India and strengthen its strategic partnership with the US.On India’s purchases of Russian oil, Rubio said New Delhi had made “substantial progress” in diversifying its energy portfolio. He said Washington welcomed the effort, adding that the objective was not simply to reduce Russian oil purchases but to help India broaden its sources of energy.In a readout of his meeting with Jaishankar, the US State Department said the two discussed regional and global issues, including developments in West Asia. Rubio also advocated greater purchases of US technologies and systems and commended progress in bilateral defence and civil nuclear cooperation.Jaishankar said they discussed advancing ties in trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people exchanges, besides regional developments.Rubio also expressed optimism about the India-US trade negotiations, saying only a small number of issues remained to be resolved. He described the two sides as being close to an agreement and said Washington hoped to make progress soon.The visit comes as the two countries seek to expand cooperation in energy and strategic sectors, even as differences over tariffs and India’s energy ties with Russia remain part of the bilateral agenda.Meanwhile, describing India as a key strategic partner in shaping the global order, Rubio said the two countries were “perfectly aligned” on major issues, ranging from technological innovation to maritime security, asserting that their partnership could help define the course of the 21st century.Addressing a reception in Mumbai to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, Rubio said the US and India shared interests on issues that would shape the global economy and geopolitics in the coming decades.“The 21st century will be defined for better and for worse by what happens in this region,” he said, referring to the wider Indo-Pacific region. He added that Washington needed to engage more frequently with New Delhi.