“Whatever the verdict, our relationship with US will only grow”: EAM Jaishankr on US Presidential Elections

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a joint presser with his Australian Counterpart Penny Wong, where the two leaders discussed various issues of global importance. EAM also spoke about the US Presidential Elections.

Jaishankar said, ” 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”.

The Presidential Elections in the US will see the Democrats, led by VP Kamala Harris and the Republicans led by former US President Donald Trump go head to head as the voting begins from November 5 onwards.

Harris was nominated as the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden quit the presidential race amid mounting concerns over his age, particularly after his poor show in the debate with Donald Trump in June.

She is the first female, first black, and first Asian American vice president. If elected president, the 59-year-old Harris would become the first woman in history to become the US President. The vice president is only the second woman ever nominated for the presidency by a major political party.

Commenting upon President Donald Trump and the QUAD grouping, Jaishankar told the media, “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, in the midst of 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”.

QUAD is a grouping of India, Australia, Japan and the US.

Quad has a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient. The four countries are united in their commitment to upholding a free and open rules-based international order, with their strong support for the principles of freedom, human rights, rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Under the leadership of former US President Donald Trump, significant reforms were seen in the US which included renegotiating trade agreements with various countries, reforming the US Tax code, and improving access to healthcare for veterans, amongst other decisions.

Trump is running for a second term at the White House with JD Vance as his VP Nominee. Trump’s presidency had seen a boost to the QUAD grouping, which was highlighted by Jaishankar in his remarks today in Australia.

EAM had earlier too spoken about the importance of QUAD in Australia.

“The QUAD has a bigger purpose. You have four democracies, four market economies, and four countries with a strong record of global contribution, all of whom are maritime nations that have found kind of a common agenda on which to work. It is not a security agenda. The QUAD does many things,” the EAM said on Sunday.