US Election 2024 | ‘Whatever the election results, India-US relations will become stronger’, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar expressed confidence

Jaishankar told reporters, “We have seen steady progress in our relations with the US during the tenure of the last five presidents, including the previous Trump presidency. So, when we look at the US election, we are confident that Whatever decision comes, our relations with America will become stronger.” “In the context of the Quad, I remind you that it was revived in 2017 during the Trump presidency. Then it was moved from the level of Permanent Secretary to the ministerial level, that too during the Trump presidency,” he said.

He said, “And, in fact, it is interesting that amidst 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 “We should know something about the possibility of the Quad.” The US, Japan, India and Australia in 2017 had given shape to the long-pending proposal of establishing the “Quad” or quadrilateral alliance to counter China’s aggressive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region. The four-member Quad, or quadrilateral security dialogue, advocates maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. China claims the group aims to prevent its rise.

Counting of votes began in the US after millions of Americans cast their votes in a presidential election marked by drama and uncertainty. Democratic nominees and Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are now awaiting the results of a tightly contested election after months of intense campaigning. At the time of writing, Trump won in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, while Democrats captured Vermont, Edison Research estimated, as voting closed in the first nine US states, including crucial Georgia and North Carolina. . Early results were expected, with the race likely to be limited to seven battleground states: Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Opinion polls have shown that the rivals on all seven seats are tied with each other till the election day. Democracy and the economy remained the most important issues to voters, with nearly a third of respondents citing each, followed by abortion and immigration. The survey revealed that 73% of voters believed democracy was in danger, while 25% said it was safe.

According to surveys by various media groups, there is a close contest between Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris (60) and Republican Party candidate and former US President Donald Trump (78). The foreign ministers of both the countries were asked whether there is any concern about Trump winning the elections and whether his becoming President will have any impact on the Quad? In response, Jaishankar told reporters, “We have seen steady progress in our relations with America during the tenure of the last five presidents, including Trump’s last presidency.” Therefore, when we look at the US elections, we are confident that whatever the outcome, our relations with America will become stronger.

In 2017, the US, Japan, India and Australia materialized a long-pending proposal to establish a ‘Quad’ or an alliance of four countries to counter China’s aggressive stance in the Indo-Pacific region. “We both look at it, I don’t want to speak for Jay… but I can express very similar views on this,” Australian Foreign Minister Wong said in response to media queries on the Quad. We both attach great importance to the Quad, it is an arrangement, a meeting, a group of countries that share very similar interests in the kind of area that we want to have,” he said. This is a very valuable strategic discussion with countries of interest, obviously the US, India, Australia, Japan.