India's relationship with the Trump administration in the US is relatively comfortable and positive, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said today.
"The aspect of our relationship with new administration in the US, you would have noticed that quite a few countries have somewhat rough experience, there are reasons for it...," Jaishankar said in response to a question at a lecture here. "But we were in a relatively comfortable zone because at the time when US itself is saying that the responsibilities of the world need to be more equally shared, here is a country which is fully stepping on its own, with which the US is more comfortable."
"Actually the entire tenor of the relationship is very much more convivial, very positive," Jaishankar added.
The foreign secretary was speaking after delivering the K Subramanyam Memorial Lecture organised by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) here. Jaishankar is the son of Subramanyam, who is considered the "doyen" of Indian strategic thinking.
He also advocated that "we in India develop awareness about the expectations that the world has on us."
Responding to a question on changes that China has gone through in the last two decades, Jaishankar said over 20 years they have performed better than expected at home economically, technologically and infrastructure wise.
"As a diplomat I would say they have exceeded the expectations, they used opportunities fully, they have taken the most out of it and that is the reason where they are today," he added.
Replying to a question on India-Iran relationship, Jaishankar said it does not run purely on emotions and "they know our position."
"Our position on Israel is not something that came out of the blue and surprised everybody, it has been our position that has been evolving since 1992 and there are positions that we agree on and we don't," he said.
Stating that Chabahar has trilateral significance for India including Afghanistan, he said there is a serious possibility of Iran emerging as a transit corridor all the way up to Russia.
"We are actually working on something called International north south transport corridor and we have actually done the trial run of goods from Gujarat all the way up to Saint Petersburg."
