New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assured India that America’s relations with any country in the world, including Pakistan or China, will not come at the expense of its partnership with India. He said that the US does not view its relationship with India from the perspective that relations with India should be harmed to improve relations with another country.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Rubio dismissed US President Donald Trump’s comparison with the Nixon-Kissinger era of the 1970s as inappropriate. He said that there are significant differences between the global situation then and today.
The situation today is different from the 1970s: Rubio
Rubio said that the 1970s should not be used as an example to compare the world to today, as the world was not the same as it was then. The Cold War was going on at that time and there were many circumstances that do not exist today.
It is noteworthy that during the tenure of US President Richard Nixon as National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, US South Asia policy was tilted towards the then military government of Pakistan.
Relations with Pakistan are not against India
Regarding the Trump administration’s increasing contacts with Pakistan, especially with Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, Rubio said that the US does not advance its relations with any country at the expense of its relations with India.
He said, “Our relations with any country in the world do not in any way come at the expense of our relations with India. We do not view our relations with India that way.”
Referring to efforts towards a trade agreement with India and the ongoing dialogue between the two countries, Rubio said that all these efforts reflect America’s commitment to India.
Hoping to ease tensions with Pakistan through dialogue
Rubio said that America’s relations with Pakistan could help discourage actions that could potentially escalate tensions or conflict with India.
He said that Pakistan is a country with which the US needs to maintain relations. According to Rubio, the US can positively use its influence to help prevent activities that could lead to conflict.
Rubio, who is on a two-day visit to India, also discussed the challenges of ending the Russia-Ukraine war. He said that this is a complex issue and that if ending the war were easy, it would have been resolved by now.