External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the US administration under President Donald Trump is moving towards multipolarity which suits India’s interests. Dr Jaishankar said that the United States’ foreign policy shift under President Trump was expected and it suits India in many ways. External Affairs Minister was addressing a session titled ‘India’s rise and role in the world’ at the Chatham House think tank in London yesterday evening.
Dr Jaishankar is on a six-day visit to the UK and Ireland. Citing the shifting geopolitical order, energy, tech and connectivity initiatives, the External Affairs Minister said that several priorities of the US President and his administration are promising for India. On the issue of tariffs, he noted that
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is currently in Washington to discuss a bilateral trade pact.
Responding to a question on resolving issues in Kashmir, Dr Jaishankar said removing Article 370 was step number one, restoring growth economic activity and social justice in Kashmir was step number two, and holding elections with a very high turnout was step number three. He said India is waiting for the return of the stolen part of Kashmir which is under illegal Pakistani occupation. When that is done, the Kashmir issue will be solved, he said.
In China, Dr Jaishankar noted some positive movement since October 2024, including the opening of the Mount Kailash pilgrimage route in Tibet.