Washington DC:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that the Trump administration wants India’s presence at the inaugural ceremony of the Quad and is giving priority to bilateral relations. He said that relations are being further strengthened on the strong foundation that has been laid. Speaking to the media in Washington DC, he said that the Trump administration is keen to take the Quad further and intensify its activities.
Jaishankar said, “If I want to share my overall opinion, I would say that it was very curious. It was very clear that the Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inauguration ceremony. They were clearly interested in bilateral relations.” Secondly, in the meetings, it was also clear that they would like to build on the foundation of relations, a foundation that the earlier Trump administration had also contributed a lot to.
“At that time, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi took many initiatives, and we have seen them mature in many ways,” he said. And the third perception, with respect to the Quad, was a very strong feeling that the current administration also wants to take the Quad forward. And will support our desire to intensify its activities.”
Jaishankar represented Prime Minister Narendra Modi as special envoy to President Donald Trump at his swearing-in ceremony in Washington DC today. He arrived with the Prime Minister’s letter for President Trump. Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US President on January 20.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Jaishankar in Washington DC and reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening the US-India partnership.
Foreign Minister Rubio and Foreign Minister Jaishankar reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening the partnership between the US and India. They discussed a wide range of topics, including regional issues and opportunities to further deepen US-India relations. Secretary of State Rubio also emphasized the Trump Administration’s willingness to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration.
This meeting was the first bilateral meeting after Secretary Rubio took office. The two leaders emphasized cooperation in areas such as critical and emerging technologies, defence, energy and the advancement of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Jaishankar expressed hope regarding bilateral relations.