NEW YORK, Sunday, October 26, 2025 (WNP): U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington sees “a clear opportunity” to strengthen its strategic partnership with Pakistan — but stressed that this renewed engagement would not come at the cost of America’s longstanding relations with India.

Speaking to journalists aboard his flight to Doha, Qatar, Rubio said the United States aims to work with as many nations as possible on shared priorities, underscoring that cooperation with Pakistan is part of a broader, pragmatic foreign policy approach.

“We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan,” Rubio said. “Our job is to figure out how many countries we can work with on things of common interest.”

When asked if India had expressed concern about Washington’s deepening ties with Islamabad — which have gained momentum following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to the White House earlier this year — Rubio said New Delhi had not raised any formal objections.

“They really haven’t,” he replied. “We know they’re concerned for obvious reasons because of the historical tensions between Pakistan and India, but I think they understand that the U.S. must maintain relations with a range of partners.”

Rubio praised India’s diplomatic maturity, noting that New Delhi itself maintains ties with countries that are not U.S. allies.

“It’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he said. “Nothing we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important.”

Under President Donald Trump, U.S.–Pakistan relations have seen a remarkable upswing. Washington has described Pakistan as a “phenomenal” counterterrorism partner, while both nations recently finalized a $500 million agreement on rare earth exploration, with Islamabad dispatching its first shipment earlier this month.

The goodwill has also been buoyed by Pakistan’s public praise for President Trump’s diplomatic efforts in brokering a ceasefire during the brief May conflict with India — a move that led to his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

In August, Secretary Rubio reaffirmed that Washington closely monitors developments between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. “Every single day, the United States keeps an eye on what happens between India and Pakistan,” he said.

Relations between Washington and New Delhi, however, have faced friction due to delays in a pending trade deal and the U.S. decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian goods in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

Despite these challenges, analysts note that Rubio’s comments signal a carefully balanced U.S. approach — one that aims to deepen ties with Pakistan while preserving its strategic alignment with India in the broader Indo-Pacific region.