The U.S. has said that it does not endorse Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy strengthened the Pakistan-China relationship and that it was for the countries in question to speak for themselves.
“ I will leave it to the Pakistanis and the People’s Republic of China to speak to their relationship. I certainly would not endorse those remarks,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said when asked for a reaction to Mr. Gandhi’s comments in Parliament on Wednesday.
“ Pakistan is a strategic partner of the United States. We have an important relationship with the government in Islamabad, and it’s a relationship that we value across a number of fronts,” he said.
American partnership, however, has a series of advantages, Mr Price further added.
“We’ve made the point all along that it is not a requirement for any country around the world to choose between the United States and China. It is our intention to provide choices to countries when it comes to what the relationship with the United States looks like. And we think the partnership with the United States conveys a series of advantages that countries typically would not find when it comes to the sorts of partnerships that – partnerships may be the wrong term – the sorts of relationships that the PRC has sought to have around the world,” Mr Price said.
Mr Gandhi while criticising the government over a range of issues yesterday had blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for following a flawed policy, both domestic and international, that has led to the creation of “two Indias”.
“Ask yourself why you are not able to get a guest on Republic Day. We are completly isolated and surrounded… You have brought Pakistan and China together and this is the single biggest crime you could have committed against the people of India,” Mr Gandhi said.
