WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday (Apr 30) urged India and Pakistan to work with each other to de-escalate tensions after last week’s Islamist militant attack in India-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, the State Department said.
Rubio spoke separately with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while expressing support to India in combating extremism and urging Pakistan to cooperate in probing the attack, the State Department said after Rubio’s calls.
Wednesday’s calls mark the highest levels of publicly known simultaneous diplomatic engagements from Washington aimed at reducing India-Pakistan tensions since the April 22 attack.
India is an important US partner to counter China’s rising influence. Pakistan remains Washington’s ally even as its importance diminished after the 2021 US withdrawal from neighbouring Afghanistan.
State Department statements after the calls termed the Kashmir attack as “terror” and “unconscionable,” and said Rubio spoke to Pakistan “of the need to condemn” it.
Rubio “urged Pakistani officials’ cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack,” the State Department said. Sharif’s office said he asked Rubio to urge India “to dial down the rhetoric.”
Rubio urged the Asian nuclear-armed neighbours to work with each other “to de-escalate tensions, re-establish direct communications, and maintain peace”.
