India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be in Tokyo from July 28th to 30th for a three-day visit, during which he will attend a foreign ministerial meeting of the Quad, a four-nation grouping comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia. This meeting, scheduled for July 29th, will see Jaishankar joined by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, and her Australian counterpart Penny Wong.
With the Quad Leaders’ Summit being postponed until November due to the upcoming US elections, the focus has shifted to formulating a robust work program that promises tangible outcomes in areas like maritime security and infrastructure development. This upcoming meeting aims to build upon discussions held during the last Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York in September 2023. The ministers will exchange views on the evolving dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region and assess the progress made by various Quad initiatives and working groups.
An official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs highlights that the ministers will deliberate on regional and international issues, providing strategic direction for future collaborations to achieve the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. This vision emphasizes addressing contemporary challenges by delivering public goods that benefit the entire region.
One of the key areas of focus for the Quad members is bolstering economic security initiatives. This encompasses critical minerals, resilient supply chains, and infrastructure projects. With regard to critical minerals, the Quad members will collaborate on securing the sourcing of rare earths, addressing the needs and vulnerabilities of the member nations. While the Quad’s agenda emphasizes fostering an inclusive, open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, a significant portion of its efforts are aimed at countering China’s influence in crucial sectors like infrastructure and telecommunications. The Quad seeks to offer transparent alternatives to countries in the region.
The ministers will also delve into the work of the health security working group, which emerged from the vaccine working group established during the COVID-19 pandemic. This group actively engages in preparing for future epidemics and medical emergencies. In the realm of maritime security, the Quad members will explore enhancing the capacity of partners across the Indo-Pacific to maintain maritime security and domain awareness. This effort is crucial to ensuring that the region’s waters are utilized in accordance with international law.
The joint statement issued by the Quad in September expressed deep concern about the Russia-Ukraine war and lamented its “terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences”. The statement underscored the “need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law”. It is likely that a similar stance on the conflict will be reflected in the upcoming joint statement. This meeting will also be the first gathering of Quad foreign ministers since the Israel-Gaza war broke out last year. However, it remains unclear whether the conflict will be addressed in the joint statement.
As the Quad Foreign Ministers convene in Tokyo, they will lay the groundwork for the postponed Quad Leaders’ Summit. Initially, the leaders of the Quad member states—India, Australia, Japan, and the US—were scheduled to meet in January. However, US President Joe Biden’s inability to accept India’s invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations led to the cancellation of the summit. With the US presidential election slated for November 5th, the earliest possible timeframe for the Quad Leaders’ Summit is now November.
