Jaishankar, Pompeo agree on early meeting of Quad

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 7

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his American counterpart Mike Pompeo today discussed the need to hold an early meeting of the Quad.

The Quad comprises the US, India, Australia and Japan and it aims to ensure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, besides promoting sustainable infrastructure projects in the region. Talk for holding a meeting of the Quad is significant, considering the tension on the LAC and the increased Chinese and US military presence in the South China Sea.

Later in the day, Jaishankar and Pompeo were again at a videoconference, this time with foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil and Israel on measures to combat Covid.

Australia is an important member of the Quad, Israel has close military ties with India and the present Brazil administration forms the cornerstone of US foreign policy in Latin America but is currently reeling under the impact of the pandemic.

The Quad meetings were upgraded from official to the ministerial level in an indication of the seriousness behind the vision to provide an alternative approach in South China Sea.