US efforts to strengthen ties with Pakistan will not impact the historic friendship with India, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made clear. This statement gains significance following the meeting between President Donald Trump and Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Trump had claimed that the US mediated to end the conflict between India and Pakistan, a assertion denied by India but welcomed by Pakistan.Speaking ahead of his trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the Asian Summit, Rubio stated that it is inevitable for the US to maintain bilateral relations with all countries.

Strengthening ties with Pakistan will not hinder the historic bond with India, he emphasized.India should understand this aspect, he opined. We are enhancing relations with Pakistan from the perspective of increasing defense ties. India's diplomacy is more mature, he added.