Doha (Qatar): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar responded on Saturday to President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of imposing 100% tariffs on BRICS nations, emphasizing that India has “no interest” in weakening the US dollar. Speaking at the Doha Forum, Jaishankar reflected on the positive relationship between India and the first Trump administration, highlighting key diplomatic milestones like the restarting of the QUAD under Trump’s leadership.
“We had a good relationship, a very solid relationship with the first Trump administration, yes there were some issues, mostly trade-related, but there were a whole lot of issues on which Trump was very international, and I remind people that it was actually under Trump that the QUAD was restarted,” Jaishankar said.
The External Affairs Minister also discussed the strong personal bond between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President-elect Trump, which he believes has contributed significantly to the robust bilateral ties between the two nations.
“There’s a personal relation between PM Modi and Trump. As for the BRICS remarks, we’ve always said that India has never been for de-dollarisation. Right now, there is no proposal to have a BRICS currency. The BRICS do discuss financial transactions… The US is our largest trade partner, and we have no interest in weakening the dollar at all,” Jaishankar added.
Jaishankar was addressing the panel on ‘Conflict Resolution in a New Era’ at the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum, where Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Norway Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide were also present.
During his visit to Qatar and Bahrain from December 6-9, Jaishankar will co-chair the 4th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. He is also set to participate in the 20th edition of the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on December 8.
Earlier, Jaishankar met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Saudi Arabia on September 9. The two leaders discussed advancing bilateral ties between the two countries.
In a tweet, Jaishankar shared details of the meeting: “Began the day with a good meeting with PM & FM of Qatar @MBA_AlThani_. Discussed taking India-Qatar bilateral ties forward. Appreciated his insights and assessments on regional developments.”
The two leaders had met previously in June to discuss strengthening cooperation across various sectors and addressing key regional challenges. Jaishankar also extended warm greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatar PM.
Further emphasizing the strength of the India-Qatar relationship, Jaishankar highlighted the cooperation in political, trade, investment, energy, technology, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.