Pakistan ties can help US 'discourage' things India is worried about: Marco Rubio

Mumbai: United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed on Tuesday that Washington condemns terrorism globally, while shedding light on the rationale behind maintaining diplomatic channels with Pakistan, despite existing friction, pointing to the nation's nuclear weapons and geographical importance.

Speaking to Network18, Rubio defended ongoing engagement with Pakistan, asserting that the country's nuclear arsenal and strategic positioning render official ties a diplomatic necessity for the United States.

"We're against terrorism anywhere in the world. We're against anybody who sponsors terrorism," Rubio stated.


However, he maintained that continuous diplomatic engagement with Islamabad equips Washington with leverage to "discourage" activities that cause apprehension in New Delhi.

"And I think, in a way, it could be a positive thing because if we have a relationship and we can speak to them, it could perhaps help us. It perhaps puts us in a position to help discourage the kinds of things that India is worried about," Rubio said.

He noted that his departmental responsibilities have evolved since assuming office as Secretary of State, necessitating the stewardship of America's wider international agenda.

"In my new role, I'm no longer a senator. I'm the Secretary of State. I have to manage the foreign policy of the United States, and that does require us to have relationships with countries, including those that we may have some disagreements with," he explained, addressing inquiries concerning his prior legislative proposals seeking to curtail American financial assistance to Pakistan over state-backed terrorism targeting India.

Rubio reiterated that Pakistan remains a state with which Washington must sustain contact, highlighting its atomic capabilities alongside its location.

"In the case of Pakistan, it's a country that we have to have a relationship with. It's a country that possesses nuclear weapons. It's a country that, from a geographic standpoint, we need to be able to interact with them in much the same way as the government of India has to have and has a relationship and meets with leaders from Iran," he stated.

Rubio acknowledged that balancing diplomatic ties amid bilateral policy divergence poses inherent complexities, though he underscored that such sustained engagement forms a vital pillar of Washington's foreign policy framework.

"These are difficult things to balance, but they have to be as part of our foreign policy," he remarked.