Washington DC [US], January 23 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the Trump administration's strong focus on strengthening India-US ties and prioritising India's presence at the inauguration. He also emphasised a shared commitment to advancing the Quad partnership, with both sides expressing a desire to intensify its activities and collaboration.
Addressing a press conference in Washington DC, Jaishankar said, "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 prioritising 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. 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.
Notably, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States Secretary of State on Tuesday, emphasised 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."
"We, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Washington DC to reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended," the countries said in a joint statement.
"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.
"We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India," the statement said.