Quad foreign ministers meet begins as Japanese FM Yoshimasa Hayasi lands in Delhi
Hayasi had not taken part in the G20 foreign ministers' meeting
Hayasi had not taken part in the G20 foreign ministers' meeting
Hayasi had not taken part in the G20 foreign ministers' meeting
Hayasi had not taken part in the G20 foreign ministers' meeting
India is hosting a meeting of Quad foreign ministers on Friday in New Delhi, aimed at assessing the situation in the Indo-Pacific as Chinese assertiveness in the region continues to grow.
Besides US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will also attend the meeting which will be presided over by Minister of External Affair S Jaishankar.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, who gave G20 Foreign Ministers meet a miss, landed in New Delhi on Friday for the crucial Quad meeting. Hayashi had opted out of G20 due to domestic parliamentary sessions and instead sent his deputy Kenji Yamada to the summit as Japan's representative.
"The meeting will exchange views on recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region and regional issues of mutual interest, guided by their vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an earlier statement.
It said the foreign ministers will also review progress made by Quad in pursuit of its constructive agenda and implementation of initiatives aimed at addressing contemporary priorities of the region.
As nations shift their attention to growth and the reconfiguration of their global economic partnerships, how will the Quad remain relevant? How does the re-emergence of land war in Europe implicate the future of a maritime grouping in the Indo-Pacific? will be the topic of the panel discussion.
The meeting will also focus on China’s aggressive actions across the region, including the situation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. The meeting will also discuss and prepare for the Quad Leaders’ Summit to be hosted by Australia later this year
The last Quad meeting was held in New York in September 2022.
Meanwhile, Hayashi is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Jaishankar on Friday. The duo will discuss bilateral relations, security ties, trade and investment and cooperation at multilateral forums.