India's Ties With United States To Strengthen Regardless Of US Presidential Election Result: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday (5 November) said that India's relationship with the United States has consistently improved over the last five presidential terms, emphasising that this strengthening bond will continue irrespective of the results of the ongoing US election.

During a joint press conference in Canberra with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Jaishankar also shared his positive outlook on the future of the Quad, an alliance including the US, India, Australia, and Japan.

The two ministers were questioned by reporters about concerns over Republican leader and former President Donald Trump possibly winning the election and the potential impact on the Quad's effectiveness under his presidency.

"We have actually seen steady progress 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 said, India TV reported.

"In terms of the Quad, I remind you that 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," he said.

"And, in fact, 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 about the prospect of the Quad," he added.

In 2017, the US, Japan, India, and Australia formalised the Quad or Quadrilateral alliance to counter China's aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific.

This alliance, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, promotes a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, despite China's claim that it seeks to curb its ascent.

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