WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Washington views Pakistan as a key partner in its expanding strategic outreach and that growing ties with Islamabad do not come at the expense of America’s long-standing relationship with India.
Speaking at a press briefing, Rubio was asked if New Delhi had raised concerns over the recent strengthening of relations between the US and Pakistan. He replied, “They really haven’t. We understand India’s concerns due to historical tensions with Pakistan, but as a global power, we must engage with multiple countries based on shared interests.”
The secretary stressed that the US aims to deepen cooperation with Pakistan on various fronts, expanding beyond traditional security and counterterrorism efforts. “We see an opportunity to broaden our strategic partnership with Pakistan. Diplomacy is about building mature, pragmatic relationships, and India understands that,” Rubio said.
He clarified that US efforts to rebuild ties with Islamabad do not undermine relations with New Delhi. “Our friendship with India remains deep, historic, and important,” he added.
Rubio attributed the improvement in US-Pakistan relations partly to mutual engagement and communication. “Even before recent conflicts, we reached out to Pakistan, expressing our interest in rebuilding a strategic alliance. There are many areas we can collaborate on,” he said.
He noted that both countries had long-standing cooperation in counterterrorism and that Washington was open to expanding this partnership to economic and technological domains. “It’s encouraging to see this relationship strengthen. It’s not happening at the expense of anyone else,” he concluded.
The remarks come amid a new phase in Pakistan-US cooperation, particularly after the two nations moved closer to implementing a rare earth minerals export deal.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited Washington, where he met President Donald Trump — the first such meeting between a serving Pakistani army chief and a sitting US president. During subsequent visits, Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss regional security and counterterrorism.
Recently, Trump praised both Shehbaz and Munir for their efforts in helping secure a ceasefire in Gaza, calling them “great people.”
Meanwhile, American company US Strategic Metals (USSM) has signed a $500 million MoU with Pakistan to develop mineral processing facilities. The company has already received the first shipment of mineral samples — including copper concentrate and rare earth elements — describing it as a milestone in the “Pakistan–US strategic partnership.”
