EAM S. Jaishankar says, "That today, you know, the US relationship is both for strategic purposes and for economic purposes in many ways a very invaluable relationship for us. Now, where the US is concerned, I mean, I would, I mean, I again, accept the history, I think all of us, none of us are in denial and he brings it out quite graphically, but succinctly. I mean, we've had a series of challenges with the United States in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s. The challenge for us is when we think of multipolarity and strategic autonomy, because of that history, it is often a concept where we ourselves against the United States"
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00:00that today, the U.S. relationship is both for strategic purposes and for economic purposes,
00:09in many ways, a very valuable relationship for us. Now, where the U.S. is concerned,
00:19I mean, I would, I mean, I again, accept the history. I think all of us, none of us are in
00:26denial, and he brings it out quite graphically, but succinctly. I mean, we've had a series of
00:33challenges with the United States in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s. The challenge for us is when we think
00:44of multipolarity and strategic autonomy, because of that history, it is often a concept where we
00:52posit ourselves against the United States. Now, the reality of the world is today something very
00:59different, that if we look at where the pressures are, you know, the primary sources of pressure,
01:07they're no longer the United States. So, in a way, because the world has changed,
01:14our understanding of the U.S. has changed, and by the way, the U.S. understanding of us
01:19has too, and therefore, I would actually argue that U.S. is today indispensable
01:26for our multipolarity to go ahead, that if we need that decision-making space, that freedom,
01:35we need countries whose interest it is that we have those margins on our side.
01:43So, and I would also say in some ways, and again, I think in a way, a lot of what Rajiv's
01:51apprehensions are, are based on history. I don't dispute the history, but I think today,
01:59we need, when we look at the U.S., we must also understand, we are talking about convergences.
02:05I don't think anybody sober and sensible in policymaking would say that, you know,
02:13we have a congruence with the United States. I mean, they will, the U.S. by its very nature,
02:18and India by its very nature, will always have interests which will differ and diverge from
02:23those of the other part. So, if we actually understand what are the expectations of this
02:31relationship, that this relationship is not about, it's not about an alliance. It is not about
02:40congruence. It is about convergence. It is about overlapping interests. It is about the ability
02:46to work together on issues and areas and theatres which suit us. And you can see that.
02:53Yeah. Even today, there are regions and issues on which we profoundly agree with the U.S.,
03:01and there are clearly some issues on which we don't. It's on full public display.