US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has clarified that Washington’s renewed engagement with Pakistan will not come at the expense of its strategic relationship with India.

Speaking to reporters while en route to Doha, Qatar, Rubio emphasised that New Delhi remains a valued and trusted partner, describing the Indo-US relationship as “deep, historic, and important.”

He assured that Washington’s outreach to Islamabad was part of a broader diplomatic approach rather than a zero-sum calculation against India.

Rubio acknowledged that India’s concerns are understandable given its long-standing tensions with Pakistan but noted that both nations recognise the complexities of global diplomacy.

He explained that America must cultivate multiple partnerships simultaneously and that its engagement with Pakistan aims to identify areas of common interest, particularly in security cooperation and economic development.

He praised India’s foreign policy pragmatism, describing New Delhi as a “mature” and “strategically astute” actor capable of managing diverse relationships, including those with nations where Washington’s ties are limited.

According to Rubio, this pragmatic approach underscores India’s rising global stature and its ability to balance competing interests without compromising its core values or sovereignty.

The remarks come amid the Trump administration’s visible efforts to reset relations with Pakistan. The renewed momentum includes energy, security and trade cooperation agreements, with a focus on mineral mining and oil exploration projects. Washington’s overtures towards Islamabad have drawn attention in New Delhi, particularly in light of recent military and trade developments that have strained regional stability.

Earlier this year, India conducted Operation Sindoor, a decisive military strike on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation followed a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 Indian lives. The ensuing tensions led to a brief military escalation until the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart to cease hostilities.

President Donald Trump subsequently took public credit for mediating the de-escalation between the two nuclear powers, though India swiftly denied any external involvement in its decision-making. Pakistan, conversely, welcomed Trump’s statements and even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize, calling his efforts “statesmanlike.”

Meanwhile, trade relations between New Delhi and Washington have encountered turbulence. The US recently imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports, totalling 50 per cent, with half attributed to India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian oil.

Washington justifies the measure by arguing that India’s imports indirectly support Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. Pakistan, by contrast, faces a 19 per cent tariff rate, raising questions in New Delhi about preferential treatment.

Despite these frictions, the Biden administration’s successor under President Trump maintains that America’s relationship with India remains a pillar of its Indo-Pacific policy. Rubio’s statement appears aimed at reinforcing that assurance while seeking to manage the optics of growing cooperation with Islamabad.

Based On ANI Report