US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told India that Washington’s relationship with Pakistan would not come at the cost of its ties with New Delhi.
“American relationship with any country in the world, in any capacity, does not come at the expense of our relationship with India,” Rubio told The Indian Express in an interview which was published Tuesday.
Rubio dismissed references to the era of Nixon and Kissinger of the 1970s, when Washington appeared to lean towards Pakistan, saying: “The world has changed.”
“I wouldn’t use the 1970s as an example because the world isn’t that way now,” he said, pointing out that the Cold War international order of that time was a thing of the past.
As for US relations with Pakistan, including its military generals, Rubio said Washington could leverage its power to prevent any actions that could spark a conflict in the region. “We need to have a relationship with Pakistan,” he said.
Rubio is in India to hold talks on bilateral cooperation including trade, energy, technology and defence. Rubio said the US and India were near arriving at a trade deal, although some hurdles still need to be overcome.
The assurances come as India keeps a close eye on US ties with Pakistan and China as regional and global formations evolve.
