US Elections 2024: Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said India has seen “steady progress” in its relations with the United States over the last five presidential terms and its ties with America will strengthen further regardless of whatever the outcome of the current American elections.

Responding to a question at a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra, Jaishankar also expressed optimism about the future of the Quad, which includes the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Both ministers were asked if there were any concerns over Republican leader and former US President Donald Trump’s victory in the elections and whether the Quad would be affected under his presidency.

What did Jaishankar say about the US elections?

Jaishankar told reporters: “We have actually seen steady progress in our relations with the United States over the last five presidencies, including the previous Trump presidency. So when we look at the U.S. election, we are very confident that whatever the verdict, our relationship with the United States will only grow.”

“Regarding the Quad, I remind you that it was relaunched under the Trump presidency in 2017. It then moved from the level of permanent secretary to that of minister, also under the Trump presidency,” he said. declared.

“And, actually, it’s interesting, in the middle of Covid, while physical meetings had stopped, one of the few physical meetings of foreign ministers was actually the Quad, in Tokyo, in 2020. So I think that should tell us something about the prospect of the Quad,” he added.

The United States, Japan, India and Australia gave shape in 2017 to the long-awaited proposal to create the “Quad” or the Quadrilateral coalition to counter China’s aggressive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region. The four-member Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, advocates maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. China says the group aims to contain its rise.

US elections 2024

Counting began in the United States after millions of Americans cast their ballots in a presidential election marked by drama and uncertainty. Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump must now await the results of a hotly contested race after months of intense campaigning. As of this writing, Trump has won Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, while Democrats have won Vermont, Edison Research predicts, as polls close in America’s top nine states, including Georgia and North Carolina, which are critical.

Early results were expected, with the race likely taking place in seven battleground states: Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Opinion polls showed the seven rivals neck and neck as polling day approached.

Democracy and the economy are by far the most important issues to voters, with about a third of respondents citing each, followed by abortion and immigration. The poll showed that 73% of voters thought democracy was in danger, compared to 25% who considered it safe.

(With PTI inputs)

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