WASHINGTON- Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes today said the United States does not view its relationships with India and Pakistan at the expense of each other. "It's important that we make clear. We can have a good relationship with India and we can have a good relationship with Pakistan," Ben Rhodes was quoted in the Press Trust of India report.
President Barack Obama arrives in India this weekend for an unprecedented second visit by a serving US president, the honored guest of his new friend Narendra Modi, who was a Washington outcast before winning the elections in India only a year ago. After Jimmy Carter, Obama is the only US president who has not visited Pakistan while on a trip to India. Obama had not visited Pakistan during his first trip to India in November 2010 and also skipped a scheduled visit in 2011 owing to several sensitive bilateral issues.
“Recently, Secretary John Kerry was able to visit Pakistan. He was able to visit Peshawar, where the horrific attack took place," White House official said. "We feel confident about our high-level engagement with Pakistan," Rhodes said. The US has encouraged India and Pakistan to resolve their bilateral issues, he concluded.