US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington’s growing ties with Pakistan could give it more influence over the decisions Islamabad makes on a range of issues.
Rubio made the remarks in a joint interview with India Today, recorded on October 22 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai alongside US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. The US State Department has published the full transcript.
What Rubio Said
He was asked how the US would assure India that its closer ties with Pakistan would not hurt India’s fight against terrorism.
“So, our relationship with Pakistan is not new. And I think it’s just developed in a way that allows us to have hopefully more influence over the decisions they make on a variety of topics,” Rubio said.
He explained that the US needs relations with as many countries as possible because of its global presence and interests.
“In no way does the relationship with Pakistan come at the expense of our relationship with India,” he added.
A short clip of the influence remark is now circulating widely on social media.
Role During India-Pakistan Tensions
Rubio also spoke about Washington’s role during last year’s India-Pakistan encounter. He said the US used its long-standing ties with India, and its relationship with Pakistan, which he said has improved over the last few years, to stop the situation from turning into a wider conflict.
“We’d prefer not to see war,” Rubio said, adding that the US would rather see both countries partner in business and commerce.
The comments come as engagement between Islamabad and Washington has grown this year, including talks on US investment in Pakistan’s AI sector.
Earlier, the Foreign Office had also clarified reports about Dar and Rubio exchanging Iran nuclear information.
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