US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended Washington’s decades-long relationship with Pakistan, saying the country’s geographic position makes continued engagement important.
Rubio made the remarks during an interview with an Indian media outlet while on a three-day visit to India. The trip marked his second official visit to the country this year.
Asked about his views on Pakistan, both as a former senator and now as US secretary of state, Rubio said his responsibility was to manage American foreign policy.
“That does require us to have relationships with countries, including those that we may have some disagreements with,” he said.
Rubio Says US Must Maintain Contact With Pakistan
Rubio reiterated Washington’s opposition to terrorism worldwide, including support for terrorist groups by any country or individual.
He also defended US ties with Pakistan, saying Washington needed to maintain relations with the nuclear-armed country because of its strategic location.
“It’s a country that, from a geographic standpoint, we need to be able to interact with them,” Rubio said.
He compared the relationship to India’s engagement with Iran, noting that New Delhi also maintains ties and holds meetings with Iranian leaders.
Rubio suggested that continued communication with Islamabad could help address Indian security concerns.
“If we have a relationship and we can speak to them, it could perhaps help us,” he said, adding that engagement could put Washington in a position to discourage actions that worry India.
Rubio Comments on Iran War and Strait of Hormuz
Rubio also discussed the conflict involving Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, describing negotiations with Tehran as difficult.
However, he claimed that oil and energy shipments through the strategic waterway had recovered to between 80% and 100% of their pre-conflict levels.
He referred to the levels recorded before the Middle East conflict began in February.
