Rubio visits Jamnagar refinery as US seeks energy leverage ahead of midterms

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Jamnagar, a small port town in Gujarat, India, skipping the capital Delhi during his recent trip to focus on energy cooperation with Reliance Industries. The visit, timed ahead of November's US midterm elections, comes as the Trump administration seeks to stabilize fuel prices amid rising Middle East tensions and domestic pressure to reduce reliance on Russian energy. Rubio met Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai before touring the Jamnagar refinery, Asia's largest, which processes 1.4 million barrels of crude oil daily. During his visit, Rubio encouraged Reliance to increase processing of Venezuelan oil, calling India a "refining superpower" capable of handling heavy crude. The strategic choice to avoid Delhi reflects concerns about strained US-India relations following Trump's imposition of tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil purchases, which reached 50% before being partially rolled back. Analysts suggest the Jamnagar visit aims to reduce India's dependence on Russian crude, encourage Venezuelan oil imports, and advance a stalled trade deal where energy cooperation could be pivotal. Reliance, once a major buyer of Venezuelan crude before US sanctions disrupted trade, re-emerged as an importer after sanctions were eased following Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's capture earlier this year. The refinery's capacity to export diesel and other petroleum products positions it as a key player in global fuel markets. While the visit may ease tensions over India's continued Russian oil purchases, analysts note that closer energy cooperation does not guarantee an imminent trade agreement. India's merchandise trade with the US grew 11.1% year-on-year in the April-September period, though the trade surplus narrowed. Both sides reaffirmed commitment to concluding a long-stalled trade deal, but uncertainty over US tariff positions remains a concern for New Delhi. The visit appears designed to get the relationship back on track despite significant remaining tensions. Source: BBC World.