Washington (TDI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington views Pakistan as a key partner in its broader regional strategy and sees “a real opportunity to expand its strategic relationship” with Islamabad, while clarifying that this renewed engagement does not come at the expense of America’s long-standing ties with India.
Speaking at a press briefing, Secretary Rubio was asked whether New Delhi had voiced reservations over Washington’s growing engagement with Pakistan.
“They really haven’t,” he responded. “Of course, we understand India’s concerns, given the historical tensions between the two countries. But the United States has to maintain relationships with multiple partners, and that’s part of how global diplomacy works.” Rubio explained that the US seeks to deepen cooperation with Pakistan wherever mutual interests converge.
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“We see an opportunity to broaden our strategic relationship with Pakistan,” he said, emphasizing that the evolving partnership is “not intended to weaken or replace” America’s friendship with India, which he called “deep, historic, and very important.”
When asked whether Pakistan’s recent appreciation of Washington’s mediation efforts to prevent a military escalation with India had spurred this renewed engagement, Rubio said the dialogue had begun even before the conflict.
He noted that Washington and Islamabad share a long history of cooperation, especially in counterterrorism, and that the US is eager to expand the partnership beyond the security domain.
“It’s encouraging to see this relationship strengthen the way it has,” the secretary remarked. “And I don’t believe it comes at the expense of our ties with India, or anyone else.”
The remarks come amid a steady thaw in US–Pakistan relations following years of diplomatic coolness.
A significant breakthrough came earlier this year when Pakistan handed over a key Islamic State Khorasan operative, wanted for orchestrating the 2021 Kabul bombing that killed 180 people, including 13 American troops.
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Ties further improved in May 2025, when US President Donald Trump helped broker a ceasefire between Pakistan and India after one of the most serious military flare-ups in decades. In recognition of his mediation efforts, Pakistan later nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Since then, Washington has frequently lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role in stabilizing regional peace and strengthening bilateral cooperation.
