India Ties Will Not Be Compromised for Pakistan: The United States has again reiterated its commitment to its relationship with India, saying that its relationships with Pakistan or any other country “will never come at the expense” of its bilateral ties with New Delhi. When asked about concerns reportedly being raised about Washington’s ties with Islamabad, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday stated that his country’s ties with Islamabad or any other country would never come at the expense of its relationship with India.
What Did Marco Rubio Say?
During an interview with The Indian Express, Rubio was asked whether his country was returning to its 1970s approach. When President Richard Nixon appeared to favour Pakistan over India, he said, “…What everyone should be assured of in India is that our relationship, not just with Pakistan but with any country in the world, will never come at the expense of our relationship. We don’t view it that way in our relationship with India.”
Marco Rubio, who is on a three-day official visit to India, stated that his visit showcases Washington’s commitment to the trade deal with New Delhi. He stated that ‘engagements’ between the two countries are evidence of the deep relations.
US Secretary Of State Is In India For A 3-Day Official Visit
Rubio, after landing in Mumbai earlier today, met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Both leaders held a bilateral meeting. Reacting to the possible trade deal, Rubio stated that both countries were “very close” to finalising the trade agreement, saying that only a few formalities were left.
He left for Jamnagar under the second leg of his visit.
Rubio said he would “not use the 1970s as an example” to define the US relationship with India.
“The world looks nothing like it did back then. Back then, we had the Cold War and all sorts of other dynamics that no longer exist,” Rubio told The Indian Express.
It is to be noted that the Nixon-Kissinger era is a period between 1969–1974, when former US president Richard Nixon and then national security adviser Henry Kissinger showed “pro-Pakistan tilt” and He opposed former then PM Indira Gandhi as Indian forces advanced into then East Pakistan, which later recognised as Bangladesh.
Rubio said that America has relations with Islamabad, adding, “In some ways, it could be a positive thing if we could help discourage actions that could potentially lead to conflict, if we could use our influence in ways that are positive…”
Earlier, the US secretary had said that Pakistan was a country the US “has to have a relationship with”. “It’s a country that possesses nuclear weapons. It’s a country that, from a geographic standpoint, we need to be able to interact with them, in much the same way as the government of India has to have and has a relationship and meets with leaders from Iran,” rubio said during an interview with CNBC TV18.
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