NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday reflected on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, particularly his meeting with President Donald Trump, describing their interaction as one marked by strong chemistry and mutual respect. Speaking at the Delhi University Literature Festival, Jaishankar noted how the two “nationalist” leaders recognised and understood each other’s commitment to their respective nations.
“The Prime Minister was in the US and Washington. He was among the earliest world leaders to be invited by President Trump in his second term to meet with him. I’ve been doing this all my life, so I have some reference points and experiences as a comparative assessment. I would say with all objectivity, I thought it went very well and for a variety of reasons,” Jaishankar said.
He explained that Modi’s strong nationalist stance resonated with Trump, who in turn appreciated the Indian leader’s commitment to his country. “PM Narendra Modi is a very strong nationalist, and he sort of radiates that. Now, Trump is an American nationalist, and I think, in many ways, nationalists kind of respect each other. Trump accepts that Modi is in it for India. Modi accepts that Trump is in it for America,” he noted.
Jaishankar further talked about the the positive dynamic between the two leaders. “The chemistry was good. Because again, you know, Trump being somewhat unusual, there are a lot of other leaders in the world with whom he has not necessarily had a positive history. In the case of Modi ji, it’s not the case,” he added.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the US, where he held bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump.
Jaishankar quotes Ramayana to explain India’s foreign policy
During his address at the festival, Jaishankar also provided an intriguing perspective on India’s foreign policy by drawing from the Ramayan. He compared Lord Hanuman’s journey into Lanka to the principles of diplomacy and coalition-building, stressing the importance of strategic engagement.
“Hanumanji, just look at it, he is being sent by Prabhu Shri Ram to a hostile territory. Say, go there, kind of figure out the lay of the land… The most difficult part of it is actually going and meeting her and keeping up her morale. But he is able to actually get into Ravan’s court by surrendering himself. He is able to understand the dynamics of the court,” Jaishankar explained.
He equated this to modern diplomatic practices, saying, “When you say foreign policy diplomacy, what is it about? It’s a common-sense thing, in a way. How do you maximise your friends? How do you propose them for a job or a task at hand? How do you manage, because sometimes you have a large group of people, how do you manage all of them to create a coalition? Now, what are we trying to do today at Bharat? We are trying to increase our number of friends. We are trying to get different countries, all of whom may be a little bit, you know, they may not all be on the same page, but we are trying to get them all together and work towards an end. Now, this kind of coalition building is very important.”
Jaishankar was speaking in the context of his book ‘Why Bharat Matters,’ which explores India’s global aspirations and how the nation draws strength from its civilisational heritage.