Secretary of State says growing engagement with Pakistan does not come at the expense of US friendship with India
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Photo: File
The United States sees an opportunity to strengthen its strategic relationship with Pakistan as part of a broader, pragmatic foreign policy approach, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a press briefing.
Responding to questions about possible Indian concerns over Washington’s renewed diplomatic outreach to Islamabad, Rubio said New Delhi understands that the US must engage with multiple partners to pursue common interests.
“We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan, and that’s our job — to find as many countries as we can work with on things of common interest,” Rubio said. “The Indians are very mature when it comes to diplomacy. They have relationships with countries we don’t, and we have some they don’t. That’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he added.
Rubio emphasised that the growing engagement with Pakistan does not come at the expense of Washington’s ‘deep, historic, and important’ friendship with India. He described both relationships as vital to maintaining regional stability and advancing US strategic interests in South Asia.
The secretary’s remarks come amid renewed US efforts to re-engage partners across the region on counterterrorism, trade, and defence cooperation, signaling a potential shift towards balanced diplomacy in South Asia.
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During the same interaction, Rubio also discussed the fragile ceasefire efforts in the Middle East, acknowledging the challenges of maintaining peace amid deep-seated hostilities.
“Every night brings a new challenge,” he said, referring to the ongoing tensions in the region. “We’ve made tremendous progress in the last 12 or 13 days, but every day requires constant maintenance. There’ll be struggles, but also new hope.”
Rubio said the US remains committed to sustaining ceasefire efforts and engaging regional stakeholders to prevent escalation, adding that senior American officials, including Vice President Harris and General Cain, would continue their diplomatic engagements in the coming days.
The United States and Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement reached new heights after former US President Donald Trump helped broker a ceasefire between Pakistan and India during their brief war.
Since then, leaders from both nations have exchanged cordial gestures and praised each other’s leadership on international platforms. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif even nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his mediation efforts.
Trump, in turn, has frequently appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz and Pakistan’s military leadership, notably describing Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir as his “favourite Field Marshal.”
Building on this positive momentum, Islamabad now seeks to translate the goodwill into tangible economic benefits by pursuing a more favourable trade agreement with Washington — including concessions on tariffs and expanded market access for Pakistani exports.
