US wants to take strategic partnership with Pakistan beyond counterterror: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington sees an opportunity in expanding its strategic relationship with Pakistan, and “We’d like to take it beyond counter-terrorism”, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Monday.

Talking to newsmen on way to Doha, Rubio said “Look, our job is to try to create opportunities for partnerships with countries where it’s possible. And we’ve had a long history of partnering with Pakistan on counterterror and things of that nature. We’d like to expand it beyond that, if possible, and understanding that there’ll be some difficulties and some challenges. But I think it’s a very encouraging thing that that relationship has strengthened the way that it has, and I don’t think it comes at the expenses or instead of a good relationship with India, or anybody else for that matter.”

Rubio further said Washington sees an opportunity in expanding its strategic relationship with Pakistan, which does not come at the expense of Washington’s ties with India.

Rubio’s statement came in response to a question whether India had raised any concerns about the “stronger relationship” between Washington and Islamabad.

Relations between the US and Pakistan have seen significant ups and downs, but the two countries have come closer in recent months after President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Pakistan and India following their four-day military conflict in May.

Pakistani civilian and military leaders have gained favour with Trump since publicly endorsing him for a Nobel Peace Prize for the ceasefire, with the US president significantly lowering trade tariffs on Pakistan from 29 percent to 19 percent in July this year.

“They really haven’t – I mean, we know they’re concerned for obvious reasons because of the tensions that have existed between Pakistan and India historically. But, I think they have to understand we have to have relations with a lot of different countries,” Rubio said.

“We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan, and I think we’ve made – that’s our job, is to try to figure out how many countries we can find how we can work with on things of common interest.”

In Sept., American firm US Strategic Metals (USSM) and Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization (FWO) signed a $500 million deal for collaboration across a range of minerals essential for the defense, aerospace and technology industries.

“The partnership will begin immediately with the export of readily available minerals from Pakistan, including antimony, copper, gold, tungsten, and rare earth elements. This cooperation lays the foundation for scaling up toward the establishment of a USSM proprietary, highly flexible poly-metallic refinery in Pakistan,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said.