US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington needs to maintain relations with Pakistan just as India needs to maintain ties with Iran, citing Pakistan’s geographical importance to the United States.
In an interview with Indian media, Rubio said the United States opposed terrorism anywhere in the world and stood against any individual or country that sponsored terrorist activities.
His remarks highlighted Washington’s position on maintaining diplomatic engagement with Islamabad while acknowledging India’s security concerns and its relationship with Tehran.
He acknowledged that the United States had relations with Pakistan and stressed that maintaining ties with Islamabad was important from a geographical perspective.
Rubio drew a comparison with India’s relations with Iran, saying the Indian government needed to maintain ties with Tehran and regularly engaged with Iranian leaders. Similarly, he said, the United States needed to maintain its relationship with Pakistan.
The US secretary of state further suggested that engagement with Pakistan could help Washington address India’s security concerns.
“If we talk to them, it might help us,” Rubio said, referring to Pakistan, adding that the relationship could potentially enable the United States to play a role in addressing concerns raised by India.