Jaishankar affirms India-US ties, Quad speak of 'newer & collaborative era' for business

The state of India-US ties and the Quad platform speaks of a "newer and more collaborative era", said Indian External Affairs (EAM) Dr. S Jaishankar while addressing the 46th annual US-India Business Council (USIBC) on Thursday. He emphasised on the need to enhance the bilateral trade relations as both India and the US are seeing "positive" values in each other. "When politicians have strong convergence, economic energy stands to find partners much more readily. Secondly, both India-US relations and the QUAD speak of a new and more collaborative era of our task," he said at the virtual summit.

Asserting that relations between the two nations are enabling a very positive environment, the EAM said: "We are seeing values in each of them more clearly and with less constrict." He further talked about India's plan to move forward in the post-COVID-19 recovery era, highlighting that technology is the best way to stay "increasingly connected with trust and supply chain with liability".

"We are contemplating how best to take forward the post-covid economic recovery. So, as you deliberate on all the subjects and more, I also hope that you will take into account the transformation in India even amidst the pandemic," Jaishankar remarked at the annual USIBC summit.

He also stressed on the sectors that reflected steady development during the pandemic and displayed India's handling of the pandemic-induced challenges. He also updated the Summit members with minutes from PM Narendra Modi's meeting with the heads of Quad states-US President Joe Biden, Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, and Japan PM Yoshihide Suga. During this part of the conference, he recalled the 5 Ts proposed by PM Modi as a vision to enhance bilateral relationships with the US.

5 Ts proposed by PM Modi

The 5 Ts -- tradition, technology, tradex talent and trusteeship, which have been poposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a part of India's way forward to boost economic relations with the US, also "permeates" Quad states, Dr. Jaishankar affirmed. Speaking about the trade relations, the EAM asserted, "What is noteworthy about our conversations is that they have gone well beyond our general arguments and are now expressed as specific initiatives, or programs, considering some of their recent developments." He also stated that both the countries did not only focus on a specific category of development but they are also "dedicated to the well being of the global commons (like climate change, people-to-people cooperation, and infrastructure) that provides the basis for coordinated action".

Lastly, Dr. Jaishankar concluded his dialogue at the virtual forum by saying that "at the end of the day, any relationship is only as strong as its economic foundation." He also acknowledged the "greater value of sentiments" of the Quad nations and sought to come up with a "more purposeful agenda of cooperation" as the world is fighting against COVID-19.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: PTI)