‘India First’: Jaishankar Bluntly Counters Rubio on Trump’s ‘America First’ Agenda

EAM S Jaishankar said India follows an “India First” policy just as the US pursues “America First,” stressing shared interests, managed differences and diversified energy security.

Jaishankar said India follows an “India First” policy just as the US pursues “America First."

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• India and US guided by 'India First', 'America First'.
• Strategic partnership has converging and diverging interests.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday said both India and the United States are guided by their respective national interests, stressing that New Delhi’s approach remains firmly rooted in an “India First” policy even as Washington pursues its “America First” agenda under President Donald Trump.

‘America First’ And ‘India First’ Can Coexist

Speaking at the press conference along with US State Secretary MarcoRubio, Jaishankar said the Trump administration had been “very forthright” in presenting its foreign policy outlook centred around “America First.”

“The United States is concerned with America First. Where we are concerned, we have a view of India First,” Jaishankar said.

 

 

 

 

 

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He noted that while India and the US share several converging interests that strengthen their strategic partnership, there could also be areas where the interests of the two countries may not fully align.

“There will be many areas where our national interests are in harmony and we work together, which is why we have a strategic partnership. There could be some where they don’t, in which case we have to manage those situations,” he said.

Jaishankar Highlights India’s Energy Security Priorities

On energy security, Jaishankar emphasised the importance of maintaining diversified and reliable sources of supply to ensure affordable energy access for Indian citizens.

“It’s important that we have multiple sources, large sources, dependable sources and cheap sources,” he said.

The External Affairs Minister added that the United States remains an important energy partner for India, but New Delhi would continue diversifying its imports by engaging with multiple countries to secure energy at the most reasonable cost.

“At the end of the day, we have an obligation to our people to provide them energy at affordable and accessible rates,” Jaishankar said.