Union minister for external affairs S Jaishankar will join his American, Australian and Japanese counterparts in Australia for the fourth annual meeting of the QUAD Foreign Ministers. The meeting will be held on February 11 with US secretary of state Antony Blinken, Australian foreign minister Marise Payne and Yoshimasa Hayashi in attendance.
The QUAD meet is important as tensions rise between the US and its allies and Russia rises due to the Ukraine issue, China expands its web in the South China Sea and as the world aims to stop the pandemic.
“It will be an opportunity for the ministers to follow up on their virtual meeting held in February 2021 and exchange views on regional strategic issues given their shared vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. The ministers will review ongoing Quad cooperation and build on the positive and constructive agenda announced by the leaders at the two summits in 2021, to address contemporary challenges such as the Covid pandemic, supply chains, critical technologies, climate change, infrastructure,” a statement released by the Union ministry of external affairs said.
Enhancing India-Australia ties
Jaishankar and Payne will also chair the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue this Saturday where the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be reviewed and bilateral, multilateral and regional issues which matter to both nations will be discussed.
They will also chair the Foreign Ministers’ Cyber Framework Dialogue (FMCFD) where the progress made in India-Australia Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation will be assessed.
Jaishankar will also meet Australian academics, political leaders and business leaders during his visit. The union minister will also meet the Indian diaspora in Australia.
Visit To Philippines
The union minister will also visit the Philippines on his first visit as a foreign minister to the east Asian nation. He will hold meetings with his Filipino counterpart Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. in Manila and review developments in bilateral relations between both nations. Jaishankar will also meet the Indian diaspora in Manila during his visit.
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