India extended a red-carpet welcome to Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez on Thursday during her official visit to New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Rodríguez aimed at strengthening commercial relations between the energy-dependent India and the oil-exporting South American nation. Rodríguez, who assumed leadership after former socialist president Nicolás Maduro was detained by U.S. forces in January, leads a country that holds about 17 percent of the world’s crude oil reserves.

Before the meeting, Rodríguez and Modi exchanged greetings outside Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the discussions would further reinforce cooperation between the two countries. Rodríguez’s visit comes as India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, seeks to expand crude imports from Venezuela amid supply disruptions caused by conflict in the Middle East.

Upon her arrival in India on Wednesday, Rodríguez expressed optimism about having productive discussions and said she aimed to explore areas of cooperation that would help meet the urgent needs of the Venezuelan people.