Kathmandu [Nepal], October 21 – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington must maintain relations with Pakistan because of its nuclear weapons and strategic location while stressing that ties with Islamabad would not come at the expense of its partnership with India.
Speaking during his visit to India from October 19 to 22, Rubio told CNN-News18 and The Indian Express that the United States needed to maintain communication with Pakistan because of its geographic position and nuclear capabilities.
Rubio said Washington could use its influence to help prevent potential conflicts by keeping channels of communication open with Islamabad.
He also defended US tariffs on India saying they were part of a broader foreign policy approach linked to New Delhi’s energy imports from Russia and Washington’s efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. He acknowledged that India could not abruptly stop importing Russian energy.
During the visit, Rubio met Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai. He also attended a trilateral meeting involving India, the United States and the United Arab Emirates where officials discussed trade, investment, technology, artificial intelligence and regional security.
Rubio’s remarks came amid debate in India over Washington’s engagement with Pakistan. He said the current global situation differed from the Cold War era when the United States maintained close ties with Pakistan’s military leadership.
