Marco Rubio is in India for a four-day visit that includes attending the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting on Tuesday
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said India is always “concerned” about Pakistan but has not raised any concerns over Islamabad’s role as a mediator.
Rubio, who is in India for a four-day visit that includes attending the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting on Tuesday, was speaking to reporters when he was asked whether New Delhi had raised any objections to Pakistan’s role as a mediator.
Responding to the question, Rubio said that while India has long pointed to the presence of armed terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory, it has not raised objections to Islamabad’s role as a mediator.
“They're always concerned about it, obviously. India is always pointing to the fact that there are armed terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory that target India. They're always concerned about that. But as far as the role they played as a mediator and a facilitator in the Iran situation, it never came up. I don't think that they would complain about that. I mean, their issue with Pakistan is different."
Rubio’s India visit
The US Secretary of State arrived in India on Saturday for bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and to participate in the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting on May 26, which is expected to focus on the Indo-Pacific.
Rubio, who is on his first official visit to India as Secretary of State, described India as “one of the US’ most important strategic partners” and a “leading trade partner”, while seeking to dispel perceptions that bilateral ties had lost momentum over the past year.
“I think the relationship continues to be strong and in fact, I believe by the end of this administration, it will be stronger than it’s ever been,” he said at a joint news conference.
Rubio also sidestepped a question from HT regarding India’s concerns over the US administration’s renewed engagement with Pakistan’s military leadership, saying: “As far as our relations with other countries – we have relations and we work at the tactical level, for example, and in many other ways with countries all over the world. So does India. That’s what responsible nation states do.
“But I don’t view our relation with any country in the world as coming at the expense of our strategic alliance with India.”
Rubio’s itinerary includes a visit to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and Jaipur on Monday, after which he will return to New Delhi for the Quad meeting on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s role as mediator
Pakistan has emerged as a key negotiator between the US and Iran amid ongoing conflict. A US-brokered ceasefire, in which Pakistani mediation reportedly played a central role, has held for six weeks.
Islamabad has continued to intensify its efforts to facilitate a broader agreement between the two sides. In its latest move, Pakistan’s army chief recently visited Tehran as discussions over a possible peace deal appear to be advancing.
US President Donald Trump also said he agreed to the ceasefire “as a favour” to Pakistan, while praising Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“We really did the ceasefire at the request of other nations. I wouldn't have really been in favor of it, but we did it as a favor to Pakistan — terrific people, the field marshal and the prime minister,” Trump said.
‘You can count on me 100%’, says Trump
Separately, Trump said, “India can count on me 100 per cent,” while calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “great friend” during an event marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The event at Bharat Mandapam was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Ambassador Sergio Gor.
In a phone conversation with Gor, Trump said, “I just want to say hello to everybody. I love the Prime Minister, (Narendra) Modi is great, he is my friend and I just want to say a very good evening to everybody.”
“I am a big, big fan of Prime Minister Modi,” he added.
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