Slide
Slide
Slide
Slide

India-US Relation under new administration: In Trump We Trust!

Big-1a-3.jpg

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (second from right) at the inauguration ceremony of US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington DC on Monday (ANI)

More engagement with Quad. Return of illegal immigrants. Probe into attack on Indian Consulate. Indian foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar’s engagement with the new US administration shows how the bilateral relationship is all set for a leap forward 

Our Bureau
Washington, DC

In a sign of importance given to ties with India, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar attended the inaugural celebrations and the swearing-in ceremony of Donald Trump as the 47th President of US at the Capitol in Washington, DC. “Attended the Inaugural festivities in Washington this evening. Occasion to meet key members of President Trump’s Administration,” the EAM posted on X. The Indian leader was given a front-row seat at the gathering.

During the event, Jaishankar met key members of President Donald Trump’s administration, including the 56th Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. He also interacted with the nominee for the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the Trump Administration, Kash Patel. “Delighted to meet Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader John Thune at the evening function,” he said.

Jaishankar represented Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his special envoy at the inaugural function of President Donald Trump in Washington DC, today. He carried a letter from the Prime Minister for President Trump. Donald Trump took the oath as the 47th US President on January 20.

Noting that the Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inaugural itself and is prioritizing the bilateral relationship, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that the ties are being built further on the strong foundation that has been laid. “If I were to share my overall impressions, I would say one, it was very keen. It was very clear that the Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inaugural itself. They’re clearly prioritizing the bilateral relationship. Secondly, in the meetings, it was also evident that they would like to build on the foundation of the relationship, a foundation which the first Trump administration also contributed a lot to building,” Jaishankar said.

“President Trump and Prime Minister Modi at that time took a number of initiatives, and we have seen that mature in many ways. And the third impression was, with regard to the Quad, a very strong sense that the current administration would reciprocate our desire as well to take the Quad further, to intensify its activities,” he added.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Jaishankar in Washington DC, reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthening the US-India partnership.

Dr S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC on Tuesday (ANI)

Secretary Rubio and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar affirmed a shared commitment to continuing to strengthen the partnership between the United States and India. They discussed a wide range of topics, including regional issues and opportunities to further deepen the U.S.-India relationship. Secretary Rubio also emphasized the Trump Administration’s desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration.

This meeting marked Secretary Rubio’s first bilateral engagement since assuming office. Both leaders emphasized collaboration in areas such as critical and emerging technologies, defense, energy, and the advancement of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The US-India relationship has seen substantial growth in recent years, with a focus on defense collaboration, trade, and shared strategic goals in the Indo-Pacific region. Secretary Rubio emphasized the importance of critical and emerging technologies as a key area for partnership, reflecting both nations’ interests in fostering innovation and enhancing security frameworks.

The Indian American community, numbering approximately 4.4 million, plays a pivotal role in strengthening ties between India and the United States. With 3.18 million persons of Indian origin constituting the third-largest Asian ethnic group in the US, this community excels across diverse fields, including politics.

Their contributions have been instrumental in fostering closer bilateral relations. Notably, five individuals of Indian origin currently serve in the US Congress, further highlighting their influence and integration into American society.

Notably, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States Secretary of State on Tuesday, emphasized the Quad alliance’s commitment to boosting regional maritime, economic, technology, and supply chain security in the Indo-Pacific.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on his first day in office on Tuesday, hosted the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan for a significant meeting of the Quad alliance.

“Quad Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, Japan & the Secretary of State of United States met immediately after the inauguration of the new US administration, signifying the commitment of the grouping to strengthening regional maritime, economic, technology & supply chain security in the Indo-Pacific,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

India, Australia, Japan and the US reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthen a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Dr S Jaishankar meets United States House Speaker Mike Johnson during President Trump’s inauguration ceremony in Washington DC (ANI)

“Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains including the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” it added.

The joint statement further emphasized that the four nations are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains.

Also, clarifying India’s stance, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that New Delhi is open to the “legitimate return” of Indian nationals living ‘illegally’ abroad, including in the United States. The Foreign Minister affirmed that India’s position on the issue has been “consistent” and “principled,” and he did clearly convey this to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“We have always taken the view that if there are any of our citizens who are not here legally, if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been open to their legitimate return to India. So, it’s not a position unique to the United States,” Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar, however, also emphasized that India is very much supportive of ‘legal mobility’ between two countries and wants Indian skills and talent to have great opportunities at the global level. He added that India is firmly opposed to illegal migration, adding it is not “reputationally good” and also leads to several illegal activities.

“As a government, we obviously are very much supportive of legal mobility because we do believe in a global workplace. We want Indian talent and Indian skills to have the maximum opportunity at a global level,” the EAM said.

The Foreign Minister, during his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also pointed out the long waiting period for getting US visas and said it is not serving the relationship well. “I also told him (Rubio) that, while we understand all of this, and I also accept that these are autonomous processes, it is in our mutual interest to facilitate legal and mutually beneficial mobility. If it takes 400-odd-days waiting period to get a visa, I don’t think the relationship is well served by this. So, I think he also noted that point,” he further said.

In another development, calling the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco in 2023, a “very serious matter,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India expects accountability for the incident and those responsible to be held accountable.

“The arson attack on our consulate in San Francisco is a very, very serious matter, and it is something for which we expect accountability. We would like to see that people who did it are held responsible,” Jaishankar said at a press conference in Washington DC on Wednesday (local time).

The External Affairs Minister with Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Washington DC (ANI)

Further, Jaishankar also stated that “he had a brief discussion on Bangladesh” with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but didn’t share any further details at the presser.

“We had a brief discussion on Bangladesh…I don’t think it’s appropriate. I get into more details,” he said.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco was attacked on March 19, 2023, by a group of assailants who committed criminal trespass, damaged public property, and attacked officials of the Consulate. Before this attack, on the same day, some attackers attempted to set the Consulate building on fire by sprinkling inflammable substances early in the morning.

A video surfaced on social media in which suspected pro-Khalistani protestors were seen gathering outside the Indian consulate in San Francisco, shouting slogans and heckling staff as they abandoned the diplomatic mission.

Shortly after three months in July, a group of Khalistan extremists again tried to set the Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire. The local San Francisco police department, special diplomatic security personnel, and state and federal authorities were notified and they launched a probe into the July incident thereafter.

With so many issues raised and discussed during the visit, it seems India-US relations are set to reach another level of engagement during the second term of Donald Trump.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

scroll to top