US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington sees a strong opportunity to deepen its strategic partnership with Pakistan while maintaining its long-standing relationship with India. Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, Rubio clarified that the renewed Pakistan-US engagement is not aimed at undermining India, noting that New Delhi has shown a “mature and pragmatic” approach and has raised no formal objections. He emphasized that the United States wants to rebuild a broader “strategic partnership” with Pakistan, extending cooperation beyond counterterrorism to include trade and development. Rubio acknowledged potential challenges but highlighted Washington’s commitment to expanding collaboration. The statement follows a recent boost in bilateral ties after Pakistan praised former US President Donald Trump’s efforts in easing tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi. Earlier, US Strategic Metals signed a $500 million MoU with Pakistan to develop mineral processing facilities and enhance rare earth exports — a move seen as a major milestone in the growing Pakistan-US partnership.