EAM Jaishankar and Japanese FM Tsuyoshi Iwatani meet. Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks with the Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan here on Sunday (January 19, 2024) and discussed bilateral issues and issues related to QUAD.
QUAD, an initiative of Donald Trump’s first term, is made up of Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
Outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration elevated it to a leadership level.
If Marco Rubio is confirmed by the U.S. Congress and becomes secretary of state, the QUAD cabinet is expected to be his first assignment in an international conference, reflecting the importance the second party has given to this grouping. is reflected. term of the Trump administration.
After meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Jaishankar said: “It was great to meet my Quad colleague FM @SenatorWong in Washington DC today. As always, I enjoyed discussing world affairs.” Posted on X.
“I am happy to meet Japan’s FM Tsuyoshi Iwaya. We confirmed progress in bilateral cooperation. We also discussed progress on the Quad,” he said in another post after meeting with Japan’s foreign minister.
Transition team sources say Rubio and President-elect Trump have made it a priority to take India-US relations to the next level.
Mr. Rubio hopes to hold his first bilateral meeting with Mr. Jaishankar as soon as he is confirmed as secretary of state, sources said.
The meeting could take place within hours of Mr. Rubio’s arrival at the State Department’s Foggy Bottom headquarters.
Mr. Rubio is expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Monday night and is likely to soon become America’s top diplomat.
All three QUAD foreign ministers are here to attend Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Monday.
Prior to this, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance welcomed the visit of Chinese Vice President Han Zheng to the United States for the inauguration ceremony.
The two leaders discussed a wide range of topics including fentanyl, trade balance and regional stability, according to a media release.
issued – January 20, 2025 6:43 AM IST
