‘Our relationship is at an all-time high’: EAM S Jaishankar on India-US partnership

On Saturday, September 30, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar talked about how the relationship between two big economies, India and the US, has evolved in the past years and said that the two countries previously used to deal with each other, but now they are working with each other.

“There is one clear message today that our relationship is at an all-time high, but as they say in America, you ain’t seen anything yet. We are going to take this relationship to a different level and different place,” said the EAM.

Jaishankar was speaking at the 'Colors of India' event in Washington, DC. He said, “People remember Rajiv Gandhi's visit (to US) in 1985, I was here at that time. People remember Dr Manmohan Singh's visit in 2005 when the nuclear deal happened; I was there too. People remember PM Modi's visit. But I have to say that this one was different; it was different in optics, and if you ask me what has changed, I would say India and the US earlier used to deal with each other, and now they work with each other.”

He further added that today, India and the US have moved to a place where they see each other as comfortable partners. He also said that no department in the government does not deal with their Indian or American counterparts.

"In this changing world, I would say today that India and the US have moved to a position where we really see each other as very desirable, optimal and comfortable partners with whom it's a natural instinct today to pick up the phone or if you meet someone and have a natural conversation," remarked the External Affairs minister.

Sharing how the India-US ties have changed, Jaishankar said, “I started at a time in the early eighties when you had to explain where you are from, what you are about, you know, it's good to see members of Congress here. Those are tough days, you know, they didn't even let you into the rooms in the Congress... But if one looks at the journey, how far we've come, how deep and broad this relationship (India-US relationship) has become.”

Jaishankar also mentioned while addressing the event in Washington DC that the success of the G20 Summit in India could not have happened without the support of the US.

“As the host, when things go well, the host always gets the credit. It's reasonable. But, the G20 could not have come together if all the members of the G20 did not work for its success," he said.

"I think particularly, I must say, because I'm in this country today, the contribution, the support and the understanding that we got from the United States to make a successful G20, I think that is something I would certainly like to recognise in public in Washington DC,” Jaishankar said and received the loudest cheers from Indian- Americans.

“So, it may have been our success in a literal way, but I think it was the G20 (nations) success. To me, it was also a success of the India-US partnership. Please keep giving this partnership the support it needs, the support it deserves and the support it expects. And I can promise you that this relationship, like the Chandrayaan, will go to the moon, maybe even beyond,” he said.

While speaking at the 'Colors of India' event, the External Affairs Minister also mentioned numerous achievements of India, including the success of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.

"...So I mentioned this to you because it's a great achievement (success of Chandrayaan-3)... Yes, we've joined the special club, but today in many ways, the new India is an India of Chandraayan, it's an India of CoWIN, it's an India of 5G. This is really what we are capable of, and it is this India today that the United States also sees. It is this India with which the United States actually has an appetite for working much more closely," said the minister.

Also Read: Chandrayaan-3: As Vikram and Pragyan refuse to restart, here are some other rovers and landers sleeping on the Moon’s surface