The US has made it clear that its efforts to deepen engagement with Pakistan won’t come at the price of its long-standing partnership with India. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, chatting with reporters aboard his flight to Doha on Saturday, October 25, mentioned Washington’s renewed outreach to Islamabad can be guided by strategic pursuits however not on the expense of New Delhi.
In line with the US Division of State’s official transcript of Rubio’s remarks to the press, the Secretary underlined that India stays a key companion in America’s overseas coverage. “I don’t suppose something we’re doing with Pakistan comes on the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and necessary,” he mentioned.
India’s issues ‘understood’, says US
Rubio acknowledged that New Delhi had issues about Washington’s renewed heat in the direction of Pakistan, particularly amid the Trump administration’s new commerce and funding initiatives with Islamabad. Nevertheless, he mentioned India had responded with diplomatic maturity.
“We all know they’re involved for apparent causes due to the tensions which have existed between Pakistan and India traditionally,” Rubio mentioned. “However the Indians are very mature relating to diplomacy. They’ve relationships with nations that we don’t, and vice versa. It’s a part of a mature, pragmatic overseas coverage.”
Rubio’s remarks got here forward of his assembly with Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday, October 27, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, the place either side are anticipated to debate commerce, tariffs, and vitality safety.
Commerce, tariffs and oil diversification on agenda
The US Secretary confirmed that commerce points would determine prominently in talks with India, which has confronted as much as 50 per cent tariffs on exports to the US – half of that are described by Washington as linked to India’s continued buy of Russian oil.
Rubio mentioned the 2 sides had been working by commerce variations however maintained that India would proceed to be a trusted ally. “They’ll all the time be our allies and mates,” he advised reporters, including that New Delhi had proven curiosity in diversifying crude oil imports and growing purchases from the US.
“The extra we promote them, the much less they’ll purchase from another person,” he mentioned, referring not directly to India’s imports of Russian oil – a key sticking level between New Delhi and Washington for the reason that warfare in Ukraine started.
Washington’s balancing act in South Asia
Rubio’s clarification follows a collection of latest strikes by the US to rebuild ties with Pakistan, together with agreements on essential mineral mining and oil exploration, and a $500 million funding memorandum signed between US Strategic Metals (USSM) and Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).
President Donald Trump has additionally praised Pakistan’s management, calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Military Chief Asim Munir “nice folks”. The shift has fuelled hypothesis of a renewed tilt in the direction of Islamabad, which some in New Delhi view with unease.
Nevertheless, Rubio insisted that engagement with Pakistan was not meant to undercut India’s strategic significance. “Our job is to create alternatives for partnerships with nations the place it’s potential,” he mentioned. “We’ve had a protracted historical past of partnering with Pakistan on counterterrorism, and we’d wish to increase that if potential.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked earlier this 12 months after India’s Operation Sindoor focused 9 terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation adopted a terror assault in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 folks.
Each side later agreed to halt full-scale hostilities after Pakistan’s Director Normal of Navy Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart. President Trump later claimed credit score for brokering the truce – a declare New Delhi firmly denied however one which Islamabad publicly celebrated.
Rubio’s remarks seem aimed toward reaffirming India’s central function in US technique whilst Washington seeks to handle a number of partnerships throughout South Asia.
Jaishankar-Rubio assembly to form subsequent steps
Rubio is scheduled to satisfy Jaishankar in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, the place discussions are anticipated to cowl not simply commerce and oil but in addition regional safety, expertise cooperation, and ongoing US efforts to stabilise conflicts in West Asia.
