External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday addressed President-elect Donald Trump’s recent threat to impose 100% tariffs on BRICS nations, stating that India has “no interest” in weakening the US dollar.
While speaking at the Doha Forum, Jaishankar reflected on India’s positive relationship with the first Trump administration, highlighting key developments like the revival of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) under Trump’s leadership. “We had a strong and positive relationship with the first Trump administration. While there were some issues, mainly related to trade, there were also several areas where Trump’s policies were quite international in nature. It was under Trump that the QUAD was restarted,” he remarked.
Jaishankar further emphasized the personal rapport between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President-elect Trump, noting that their strong bilateral ties have played a crucial role in shaping relations between the two countries.
Regarding the BRICS and US dollar remarks, Jaishankar clarified, “There is no proposal to create a BRICS currency. We’ve always stated that India has no interest in de-dollarization. The BRICS countries do discuss financial transactions, but the US remains our largest trade partner, and we have no intention of weakening the dollar.”Jaishankar made these statements during a panel discussion on ‘Conflict Resolution in a New Era’ at the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum. The panel also included Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
The External Affairs Minister is currently on an official visit to Qatar and Bahrain from December 6-9. In Bahrain, he is set to co-chair the 4th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (HJC) with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. Jaishankar will also participate in the 20th edition of the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on December 8.
Earlier this year, Jaishankar met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Saudi Arabia on September 9. The two leaders discussed advancing bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation across various sectors.
Jaishankar, while sharing details of his meeting with Qatar’s leadership, noted, “I began the day with a productive meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister @MBA_AlThani. We discussed taking India-Qatar relations forward and appreciated his perspectives on regional developments.”
The two leaders had previously met in Doha in June to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and addressing regional challenges. Jaishankar also conveyed Prime Minister Modi’s warm greetings to Qatar’s Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the Qatari Prime Minister.
Throughout his visit, Jaishankar emphasized the robust nature of the India-Qatar relationship, underscoring cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, energy, technology, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
