Washington DC [US], September 12 (ANI): Sergio Gor, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for Ambassador to India, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday that the President is fully committed to meeting with the QUAD and highlighted the importance Washington attaches to the grouping.
During his confirmation hearing, Gor said, “The President is fully committed to continuing to meet with the Quad and strengthening it.”
When asked what actions he would take to strengthen India-US cooperation on the QUAD, Gor responded:
“The QUAD is vitally important. After Secretary Rubio was sworn in and clapped in at the State Department, his very first meeting—one hour later—was with the Foreign Ministers of the Quad. The President is committed to continual engagement with the Quad. There have already been talks about a trip for the next Quad meeting.”
The QUAD is a diplomatic partnership between India, the US, Japan, and Australia aimed at fostering a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Gor’s positive remarks come shortly after tensions over tariffs and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tianjin, which brought together leaders of India, Russia, and China. Commenting on the development, Trump had written on Truth Social: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”
On the matter of joint military exercises between India and the US, Gor told the Senate:
“On your earlier point of joint troop exercises, those continue to occur and we would fully encourage that to grow. Just last week we had 500 Indian troops train with our troops in Alaska—that’s a great thing. So in spite of this little hiccup we’ve had over tariffs, our relationship is much stronger. It’s built on many decades, and I will do everything in my power, should I be confirmed, to enhance that.”
When asked about India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, Gor emphasized:
“President Trump has made it crystal clear that they (India) must stop buying Russian oil. The President has only imposed a 25% tariff, and he’s fully encouraging European partners and others around the world to stop as well. Our tariffs work if our partners around the world are on the same page. If we’re unilaterally putting tariffs on someone, but they’re able to buy the same oil and resell it through China, through India, through Brazil—that’s a problem. And so we fully intend on fixing that.”
Calling India a “vital counterweight” to China in the Indo-Pacific, Gor underlined the strategic importance of the bilateral relationship. He also described India as a “stopgap” within BRICS on issues like de-dollarisation.
He said:
“India is a vital counterweight to communist China in the Indo-Pacific. So our relationship is very important. I’m concerned that India is a member of the BRICS organisation alongside some of our biggest adversaries. Senator, I share those concerns with you. With that said, Indians have been on our side on various issues within BRICS. For example, several members—Brazil, China—have pushed for years to move away from the US dollar. India has been the stopgap for that. India is much more willing and open to engage with us than with some of those other individuals in BRICS.”
The recent BRICS virtual Summit, hosted by Brazil’s President Lula, saw discussions on advancing a more “just, balanced, and inclusive international order, one capable of responding more effectively to the demands of the Global South.” The BRICS members reaffirmed their commitment to preserving and strengthening multilateralism and reforming international institutions, Lula noted in his statement. (ANI)
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