Rubio says US ties with Pakistan won’t come at India’s expense, stresses shared concerns over terrorism

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said Washington’s growing engagement with Pakistan would not undermine its strategic partnership with India, emphasising that both countries shared concerns over terrorism. His remarks come amid questions over how the US intends to balance its relationships with the two South Asian neighbours.

"In no way does the relationship with Pakistan come at the expense of our relationship with India," Rubio said in an exclusive interview with India Today, adding that Washington and New Delhi "share the same concerns... about terrorism."

Rubio made the remarks at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, one of the locations targeted during the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He was responding to a question on how Washington would ensure that closer ties with Islamabad did not come at the cost of India’s efforts to combat terrorism.

Explaining the US approach, Rubio said Washington needed to maintain working relationships with countries across the world, including Pakistan. He argued that continued engagement with Islamabad could allow the US to influence its decisions on a range of issues.

“I think it allows us to have, hopefully, more influence over the decisions they make on a variety of topics,” he told India Today.

US willing to play constructive role in India-Pakistan tensions

Rubio also indicated that Washington’s engagement with both countries could help prevent tensions between India and Pakistan from escalating into a broader conflict.

While describing the US partnership with India as long-established, he said relations with Pakistan had improved in recent years, providing Washington with an opportunity to engage with both sides.

Acknowledging the longstanding tensions between the neighbours, Rubio said the US was willing to play a constructive role in reducing the risk of conflict. He stressed that Washington did not want to see another war between the two countries.

“The tensions between the two countries are well understood. The United States is prepared to play a constructive role because we'd prefer not to see war,” he said.

Rubio added that greater emphasis on trade, business and commerce would be preferable to continued hostility, arguing that stronger economic cooperation could create opportunities for prosperity and security in the region.

Rubio reiterates US commitment to counterterrorism

Reiterating Washington’s position on counterterrorism, Rubio cited the US’s experience with terrorist attacks and its military and intelligence operations against extremist organisations around the world.

“No country in the world does more to go after terrorism than the United States,” he said.

He pointed to American operations against the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, including the operation that killed Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. Rubio also referred to US operations against terrorist groups in parts of Africa, arguing that Washington had demonstrated its commitment to confronting extremist organisations and ideologies.

His comments sought to reinforce the view that counterterrorism remained a shared priority for Washington and New Delhi, even as the US maintained engagement with Pakistan.

The remarks come as India-US relations continue to navigate a range of issues, including trade, tariffs, terrorism and visa-related concerns. Rubio’s statements underline Washington’s effort to reassure India that its engagement with Islamabad would not weaken the broader bilateral partnership or its stated commitment to combating terrorism.