Multipolarity: Trump policies suit India, says Dr. Jaishankar
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The new US administration under President Donald Trump is moving towards multipolarity which suits India’s interests, and the two nations have agreed on the need for a bilateral trade pact, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has said.
His remarks came during a session titled ‘India’s rise and role in the world’ at the Chatham House think tank in London on Wednesday evening, when he was asked about the first few weeks of the new US administration and, specifically, about Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
“We see a president and an administration which, in our parlance, is moving towards multipolarity and that is something that suits India,” said Dr. Jaishankar, who is on a six-day visit to the UK and Ireland.
“From President Trump’s perspective, the one big shared enterprise that we have is the Quad, which is an understanding where everybody pays their fair share… There are no free riders involved. So that’s a good model which works,” he said. The Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) alliance, which China views as the “Asian NATO,” comprises four democracies, viz, the US, India, Australia, and Japan.
On fresh US tariffs, he noted that , following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump at the White House in February, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is currently in Washington to discuss a bilateral trade pact.
“We had a very open conversation about it (tariffs) and the result of that conversation was that we agreed on the need for a bilateral trade agreement,” he said.
During the exchange with Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox, the EAM covered a broad spectrum of issues including his “cautious optimism” over the proposed India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations after his ministerial discussions over the past few days.
“It’s a very complicated process. So, given the complexity, it’s natural that it would take time… from my discussions with (the UK) Prime Minister (Keir) Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and (Business) Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, I got a consistent message that the British side is also interested in moving forward. I had a few points to convey on behalf of my concerned colleagues as well. So, I’m cautiously optimistic and hope that it doesn’t take that long,” he said.
India’s role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the trajectory of the BRICS grouping of nations and relations with China were among the other major foreign policy issues touched upon during the conversation.
“We have been one of the few countries who have been regularly talking to both Moscow and Kyiv at various levels… Wherever there’s been a sense that India can do something, we have always been open-minded about it. Our consistent position has been that they need to do direct negotiations,” he said.
On China, Dr. Jaishankar noted some positive movement since October 2024, including the opening of the Mount Kailash pilgrimage route in Tibet.
“We have a very, very unique relationship with China as the only two billion plus populated countries in the world… we want a relationship where our interests are respected, sensitivities are recognised and works for both of us,” he said.
Responding to a question on “solving” issues in Jammu and Kashmir, he said: “Removing Article 370 was step number one, restoring growth and economic activity and social justice in Kashmir was step number two, and holding elections with a very high turnout was step number three.
“I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir which is under illegal Pakistani occupation. When that is done, I assure you Kashmir will be solved.”
Dr. Jaishankar is scheduled for talks with his Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, on Thursday.
