External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday strongly ruled out any possibility of Pakistan having an influence on India's bilateral ties with the United States. He re-emphasized that the India-US partnership is based on its own merits and not determined by third countries.
Addressing a question on Pakistan's place in the India-US relationship during a press briefing in Washington, Jaishankar said, "I would really urge you to get over the idea that we need to define ourselves regarding third countries in order to forge ahead in ties with Washington."
He emphasized that significant bilateral relations aren't defined in terms of third countries. "Big relations are not built in terms of third countries and where they fit," he asserted, categorically ruling out any implication that Pakistan has modified the character of Indo-US relations.
Jaishankar emphasized that the key driver of the India-US relationship is the complementarity of the two countries themselves. "The central factor in the India-US relationship is India and the US. It is our complementarity. To a large extent, it is the gains that we derive from closer relationship that is actually driving it," he elaborated.
Emphasizing India's growing global role, Jaishankar urged a self-assured approach to international interactions. "We are a large country. We are one of the top five economies of the world. We are the world's most populous nation. Our influence is expanding," he told an audience. "We should have that self-assurance."
The Minister noted that the bilateral relationship has developed in concrete areas of collaboration that are in the interest of both parties. "It's about trade. It is about investment. It is about technology. It is about mobility. It is about energy," he said, describing major pillars of engagement.
When asked about former US President Donald Trump’s statement claiming he facilitated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar offered a measured clarification. “The record of what happened was very clear,” he stated. “The ceasefire was something that was negotiated between the DGMOs” — Directors General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai of India and Major General Kashif Abdullah of Pakistan — “I’d leave it at that.”
Jaishankar is in Washington for the Quad Ministerial meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan. The meet witnessed a joint condemnation of the Pahalgam massacre by The Resistance Front, which is a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba affiliate.
Jaishankar also had one-on-one meetings with Secretary Rubio, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright during the visit.
Looking back at his encounter with Rubio, Jaishankar stated, "We basically did a stock-taking of the past six months. And, you know, what do we do to go, a look ahead." Among the broad range of topics they discussed were "trade and investment, on technology, on defence and security, on energy and on mobility."
He also pointed out that particular areas like defence and energy needed focused sessions, which were addressed in meetings with Secretaries Hegseth and Wright.
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