India can work with whoever wins in the U.S.: External Affairs Minister

External Affairs Minister discusses cooperation with the U.S. post-elections, highlighting Indian connections in the presidential race.

India will be able to work with the new U.S. President, regardless of who it might be, after the elections later this year, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday (August 13). He was speaking at an event organised by Indiaspora, a global network of the Indian diaspora. “Generally, we don’t comment on other people’s elections because we also hope others don’t comment on us. ...We have every confidence that we will be able to work with the President of the United States, whoever he or she will be,” he said. 

U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said there had not been a better time for India-U.S. ties, pointing out the Indian connection of the candidates in the fray. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is the first candidate of Indian origin for the White House, while Usha Vance, wife of Republican Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance, is also of Indian origin.

Mr. Garcetti, who was earlier Mayor of Los Angeles, described it as an “Indian city”. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics and Mr. Garcetti had led the city’s bid to host it. Indiaspora founder M.R. Rangaswamy also spoke. 

Dr. Jaishankar said the world was going through a very difficult period and this called for continued cooperation between India and the U.S. “I’m an optimistic person and generally tend to think of solutions to problems rather than the problems that come out of solutions. But I would say with a great deal of sobriety that we are going through an exceptionally difficult period,” he said, naming the conflicts in Ukraine, West Asia and other parts of the world, besides economic and climate instability that is impacting many regions.