'US shares important ties with India and Pakistan'

During a press briefing, the United States officials said that the country's relations with both India and Pakistan is important. The US administration also welcomed steps taken to return Jammu and Kashmir to normalcy.

New Delhi: The US administration said that America has an important relationship with India and Pakistan and that the relationships with both countries are not a zero-sum proposition.

During a regular press briefing, after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday highlighted Joe Biden's foreign policy priorities, US State Dept spokesperson Ned Price said, "We have a comprehensive global strategic partnership with India. When it comes to Pakistan, we have an important shared interest in the region and we will continue to work closely with Pakistani authorities on those."

"I think the point we would want to make is that the United States has important relationships with India, as I said, but also with Pakistan. These relationships stand on their own in our view. They are not a zero-sum proposition when it comes to US foreign policy, ” Price added.

Moreover, the US administration also welcomed steps taken to return Jammu and Kashmir to normalcy." We continue to follow developments in Jammu and Kashmir closely, our policy has not changed. We welcome steps to return the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to full economic and political normalcy consistent with India's democratic values", US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

Laying importance on its relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the US administration said that America will deepen its partnership with India and work alongside New Zealand as well as Singapore, Vietnam and other ASEAN member states to advance shared objectives.

"Recognizing ties of shared history and sacrifice we will reinforce partnership with Pacific Island states", it added. Last month, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a telephone conversation focusing on developments in the Indo-Pacific as well as cooperation under the framework of the Quad or Quadrilateral coalition.

Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Biden held the first telephonic conversation, after the new US administration took charge in January this year.

India holds a special place in US foreign policy priorities and both countries share strong and committed bilateral and strategic ties that have proven to be worthy in its fight against any global issues so far, including the pandemic.