New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is all set to visit Tokyo at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Japan, Yoko Kamikawa, from 28-30 July to participate in the next meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers' in Tokyo on 29 July along with the Foreign Ministers of Australia, and the United States.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the quad foreign ministers will take forward discussions held during the last meeting in New York in September 2023 and exchange views on developments in the Indo-Pacific region, and review progress on Quad initiatives and working groups.
During the Quad meeting, New Delhi will push its Indo-Pacific strategy, sources said. The QUAD, consisting of the United States, India, Japan, and Australia, is an informal strategic forum aimed at promoting a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. The group's discussions typically focus on key issues such as security, economic cooperation, and regional stability.
The ministers are expected to discuss maritime security, freedom of navigation, and territorial integrity in the Indo-Pacific region, with a particular focus on countering challenges posed by China's assertive actions in the South China Sea and East China Sea.
The current tension between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea region is also expected to be discussed during the Quad meeting. China's growing aggressiveness in the Taiwan Strait is also likely to be discussed.
This will be the first Quad foreign ministers meeting since September 2023. Ahead of the meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be in Laos for the India-Asean and East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers meet. Laos is the current ASEAN and EAS chair.
Strengthening economic ties among QUAD nations, enhancing supply chain resilience, and exploring collaborative projects in infrastructure, technology, and trade, joint efforts to combat climate change, promote sustainable development, and enhance environmental protection in the region are some of the other key areas of discussion.
Jaishankar's visit to Tokyo will enable his first meetings with counterparts of the US, Japan and Australia. This would be in fact, his first face-to-face meeting with US Joe President Biden after America criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow.
The quad foreign ministers will lay special emphasis on collaborating on cybersecurity measures, protecting critical infrastructure, and advancing cooperation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and 5G networks, enhancing coordination on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, especially in response to natural disasters and other emergencies in the Indo-Pacific region.
The meeting serves to reaffirm the commitment of QUAD nations to a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, emphasising shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
MEA said that the Ministers would discuss regional and international issues, and guide future collaboration to achieve the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region by addressing contemporary priorities of the region through delivery of public goods. The gathering of Quad foreign ministers sends a strong signal of unity and cooperation among the QUAD members, demonstrating their resolve to work together in addressing common concerns and promoting regional stability.
The outcomes of the meeting are expected to have significant implications for regional dynamics and the broader international community, as the QUAD continues to play a crucial role in shaping the strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific
