E-Paper
What S Jaishankar said on Donald Trump vs Kamala Harris fight
Addressing a joint presser with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, EAM Jaishankar said India's relationship with the US will only grow.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar, who is currently touring Australia, reacted to the US presidential election and the poll contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, saying the India-US bilateral relations have seen steady progress over the past five presidencies.
Addressing a joint presser with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, EAM Jaishankar said India's relationship with the US will only grow irrespective of the poll results.
“We have seen steady progress in our relationship with the US over the last 5 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 US will only grow,” he said.
S Jaishankar also spoke on the QUAD grouping.
"In terms of QUAD, it was revived under the Trump presidency in 2017. It was then moved from the level of a permanent secretary to a minister, also during the Trump presidency. It's interesting, amid COVID when physical meetings had stopped, one of the rare physical meetings of Foreign Ministers was actually of the QUAD in Tokyo in 2020. So I think that should tell us something," he said.
The Indian-origin Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, is taking on the Republican star, former president Donald Trump.
Also read: Decoding Kamala Harris's India equation: What will her win in US election mean for New Delhi
Harris was nominated as the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden quit the presidential race amid mounting concerns over his age.
If elected president, the 59-year-old Harris would become the first woman in history to become the US President.
Also read: US election forecast: Simulation model gives edge to Kamala Harris over Donald Trump
Donald Trump is looking for his second term. This is the third consecutive time that he is the Republican presidential candidate.
In the run-up to his campaign, Donald Trump talked about his good rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also condemned attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
Also read: 'Other steps could happen': S Jaishankar on thaw in India-China relationship
While Kamala Harris did dwell too much on India, Donald Trump was vocal about the US' ties with New Delhi. He also talked about reciprocity in charging tariffs on imports of products.
He called India a very big charger of tariffs. He, however, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
“India is a very big charger. We have a great relationship with India. I did. And especially the leader, Modi. He's a great leader. Great man. Is a great man. He's brought it together. He's done a great job," he said in October.
With inputs from ANI
