Washington– India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar firmly rejected the idea that Pakistan plays a role in shaping U.S.-India relations, emphasizing that the partnership between the two nations stands on its own merits and not in relation to any third country.
At a press conference in Washington on Wednesday, Jaishankar responded to a question about whether Pakistan influences bilateral ties, saying, “I would really urge you to get over the idea that we need to define ourselves in terms of third countries to move forward.”
“Major relationships aren’t built around third countries and where they fit in. The central factor in the India-U.S. relationship is India and the U.S. – our mutual strengths and complementarities,” he said. “What’s driving this partnership is the mutual benefit we derive from being closer.”
He added that given India’s growing influence and global stature, it’s important to approach such relationships with confidence and a sense of national strength.
“We’re a big country. We’re one of the world’s top five economies. We’re the most populous nation. Our global influence is growing,” he said. “We should have the confidence to engage on our own terms.”
He emphasized that the India-U.S. relationship is forward-looking and grounded in substantive areas that matter for both countries.
“It’s about trade, investment, technology, mobility, energy—those are the building blocks of our partnership,” he said.
When asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar dismissed the assertion.
“The record is quite clear,” he said. “The ceasefire was negotiated between the Directors General of Military Operations—Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai of India and Maj. Gen. Kashif Abdullah of Pakistan. I’ll leave it at that.”
Jaishankar was in Washington to attend the Quad Ministerial Meeting on Tuesday, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
During the meeting, the ministers jointly condemned the Pahalgam massacre, carried out by The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
In addition to the Quad meeting, Jaishankar held bilateral discussions with Rubio, Wong, and Iwaya, as well as separate meetings with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Speaking about his meeting with Rubio, Jaishankar said, “We did a comprehensive review of the last six months and discussed next steps. Our conversation covered trade, investment, technology, defense and security, energy, and mobility.”
He noted that defense and energy were substantial enough to warrant dedicated meetings with Secretaries Hegseth and Wright. (Source: IANS)
