Quad foreign ministers to meet in Japan on October 6

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

The next meeting of foreign ministers of Quad countries — the US, India, Japan and Australia — will take place in Tokyo on October 6, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said on Tuesday.

The Japanese minister will also hold separate bilateral talks with the three foreign ministers — S Jaishankar, Mike Pompeo and Marise Payne.

This will be the second meeting of Quad foreign ministers. The previous meeting was held in September last year in New York.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of China conducting military drills in all four seas in its vicinity while being locked in a tense standoff with India along the LAC.

Toshimitsu said there was high interest in this meeting as the four foreign ministers, with the same aim, would discuss the impact of Covid and the regional situation. All the four countries, he said, were moving ahead with the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and planned to further deepen cooperation on its various aspects.

The Quad meet’s broad agenda was discussed by senior diplomats from the four countries on September 25. It included deepening practical cooperation on quality infrastructure, maritime security, counter-terrorism, cyber security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.