US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States is seeking to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan. He was responding to a reporter during a press briefing over the turning point in US and US-Pakistan ties.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, highlighting a balanced diplomatic approach, asserted that the United States is working to enhance its “strategic relationship” with Pakistan, but those ties don’t come at the expense of Washington’s “deep, historic, and important” relations with India.
Speaking to the press en route to Qatar, Rubio said that just like India has ties with countries that the US doesn’t, the vice versa applies. “It’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he said.
Friendship with India is deep, historic, and important: Rubio
“I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important.”
Responding to a question on whether US-Pakistan ties had grown based on Islamabad’s recognition of US President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claim of mediating a ceasefire, Rubio said he had reached out to both sides and said the US was interested in rebuilding a strategic partnership with both countries.
Fully aware of the challenges with India: Rubio
“We’re fully aware of the challenges with regards to India and everything else, but our job is to try to create opportunities for partnerships with countries where it’s possible. And we’ve had a long history of partnering with Pakistan on counterterror and things of that nature.”
“We’d like to expand it beyond that, if possible, and understanding that there’ll be some difficulties and some challenges. But I think it’s a very encouraging thing that that relationship has strengthened the way that it has, and I don’t think it comes at the expense or instead of a good relationship with India, or anybody else for that matter,” he added.
This statement comes amid concerns over Washington’s diplomatic stance toward Pakistan following the India-Pakistan clashes in May.
US on India’s Russian oil purchase
India–US relations have faced tension over Trump’s tariffs on Indian goods, including an additional 25 per cent levy on New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil. The US has urged India to stop buying Russian energy, arguing that such purchases help finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Rubio, who is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday at the ASEAN Summit, acknowledged these trade disputes but emphasised that India and the US remain steadfast allies and friends.
“I think India has already expressed an interest in diversifying their oil portfolio and who they buy from. And, so, India only needs so much oil. So, if they diversified their portfolio, the more they buy it from us, the more they’ll buy it from someone else. But I wouldn’t prejudge or – I’m not negotiating trade deals, so I’m not going to speak on that because, but I know they’ve already expressed a desire to diversify their oil portfolio, even before all of this came up. So, obviously, the more we sell them, the less they’ll buy from someone else. And, but, we’ll see where we wind up on all that,” he added.
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