Canberra: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India-US ties have witnessed “steady progress” over the past presidencies and it will continue to grow despite the presidential election results as the latest projection pitched Republican Donald Trump as the likely winner against Democratic Kamala Harris.
Jaishankar made the remarks during a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra on Tuesday. He also expressed optimism over the Quad bloc, which consists of the US, India, Japan and Australia.
“We have actually seen a steady growth in our relationship with the US over the last five presidencies, including an earlier Trump presidency. So, when we look at the American election, we are very confident that whatever the verdict, our relationship with the United States will only grow,” Jaishankar told reporters.
In 2017, the US, Japan, India, and Australia formalised the long-pending proposal to establish the “Quad” or Quadrilateral coalition to counter China’s assertive actions in the Indo-Pacific region. The four-member Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, promotes the principles of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. China, however, argues that the grouping’s goal is to contain its rise.
Further elaborating on the US election, Jaishankar said the US has become more cautious about its international commitments and that Trump may be more articulate and expressive.
“President Trump might be more articulate, and expressive in that regard but the reality is, after all it was President Biden who withdrew from Afghanistan and it was President Obama who said that he would be very cautious about committing American troops to any future conflicts,” he said.
#WATCH | Canberra, Australia: At the event ‘Raisina Down Under’, EAM Dr S Jaishankar speaks on US Presidential elections, ” To some degree, it is natural, people would contrast the candidates, their views and preferences…the fact is probably starting from Obama, US has become… pic.twitter.com/aZQWQFICdR
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2024
He said it is more important to look at the outcomes than just in terms of only the ideology of the existing administration. “There are conclusions for all of us to draw…we should be analysing them rather than projecting our preferred outcome,” Jaishankar added.
