Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez will be visiting India next week to discuss selling oil, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Thursday.Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez will be in India for oil talks next week. (via REUTERS)Rodriguez has been in power since the US captured and deposed Nicolas Maduro in January and Rubio's announcement of a foreign leader's travel that demonstrates the influence that US now has over Caracas.Rubio is also set to embark on his India tour on Saturday.With India's growing economy hit by the chaos set off by the US and Israeli attack on Iran, Rubio said, “We want to sell them as much energy as they'll buy.”"We also think there's opportunities with Venezuelan oil. In fact, it's my understanding that the interim president of Venezuela will be traveling to India next week as well," he said."There's a lot to work on with India. They're a great ally, a great partner."Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves.Rodriguez made her first foreign trip as interim president earlier this month to The Hague to defend Venezuela's claims in a territorial dispute with Guyana before the International Court of Justice.She has longstanding ties with India as a follower of the late guru Sathya Sai Baba. She is known to have visited his ashram in southern India at least twice in recent years while serving as vice president.Rodriguez's India visit for oil talks comes in the backdrop of the Middle East war that has disrupted the energy supplies globally, particularly on account of closure of crucial Strait of Hormuz that carries world's 20% fuel supplies.US President Donald Trump had first mentioned India buying oil from Venezuela in the beginning of February when India and the US announced a key trade deal, including reduced reciprocal tariffs of 18% from existing 25% on Indian imports. The $500 million trade pact was announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump's telephonic conversation.Trump on his social media had then said that Modi “agreed to stop buying Russian oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela."“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump said, as he termed PM Modi as one of his greatest friends and a powerful and respected leader of India.With inputs from agencies