- US Secretary of State Rubio affirmed India-US ties are paramount.
- US engagement with other nations does not harm India.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday underlined the difference between Washington’s ties with Pakistan and its strategic partnership with India, asserting that America’s relations with any country are not built “at the expense” of its alliance with New Delhi.
Rubio made the remarks during a joint media briefing with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi after high-level bilateral talks.
Responding to a question on US-Pakistan ties and allegations linked to military support for terror groups, Rubio declined to comment directly on military matters but stressed that responsible nations regularly engage with multiple countries at a tactical level.
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‘Not At Expense Of Ties With India’
“We have relationships and work with countries around the world at a tactical level in different ways. India does the same. Responsible countries do that,” Rubio said.
However, he made it clear that Washington’s engagement with other nations does not come at the cost of its partnership with India.
“I don’t see our relationship with any country in the world at the expense of our strategic alliance with India,” Rubio stated, reiterating the importance of India-US ties.
Rubio also indicated that he would not go deeper into military-related aspects raised in the question.
“It was a long question and contained several things I don’t agree with, and I’m not going to speak about military matters,” he said.
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Rubio Expresses Optimism For BTA
Throughout the briefing, Rubio repeatedly highlighted the strength and continuity of the India-US relationship, dismissing suggestions that ties between the two countries needed to be “reset” or “revived.”
He said the partnership had remained strong and was expected to grow further in the coming years.
The US Secretary of State also expressed optimism over the long-pending Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), saying Washington hoped the deal would be concluded soon.
Rubio further said India and the United States were strategically aligned on most major global issues and described India as one of America’s most important strategic partners globally.
“A strategic partnership exists when two countries have shared interests and work together strategically to address common challenges,” Rubio said.
“The wide range of issues we work on together shows that India is a vital strategic partner for the United States and one of our most important strategic partners in the world,” he added.
