India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, in Tokyo on Monday. The two ministers discussed steps to intensify bilateral ties, focusing on areas like security, trade, and education. They also explored ways to deepen practical cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region.
Jaishankar shared his thoughts on X, stating, “A great start this morning meeting Australian FM @SenatorWong in Tokyo. Spoke about further steps to intensify our bilateral ties including in security, trade and education. Also discussed deepening our practical cooperation across the Indo-Pacific. Look forward to continuing this at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting shortly.”
Both Jaishankar and Wong are in Tokyo to attend the meeting of foreign ministers from the Quad or Quadrilateral coalition. The Quad, which consists of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, was formed in 2017 to develop a strategy for keeping key sea routes in the Indo-Pacific region free from external influence.
Prior to this meeting, Jaishankar engaged in “wide-ranging” talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday. These discussions come against the backdrop of recent unease in India-US relations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia three weeks ago.
Earlier on Sunday, Jaishankar unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Freedom Plaza in Edogawa, Tokyo. He arrived in Japan from Laos on Sunday for a two-day visit that will culminate in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
