EAM S Jaishankar to visit Japan for QUAD ministerial meeting, bilateral consultations

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on a two-day visit to Japan for bilateral consultations with Japanese Foreign Minister as well as QUAD ministerial meeting. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that foreign ministers of India, Japan, Australia, and the United States will participate in the second QUAD security dialogue on October 6.

“External Affairs Minister will also hold bilateral consultations with the Foreign Ministers of Australia and the United States of America during his visit to Japan,” MEA said in a statement.

The ministers will discuss the post-COVID-19 international order and the need for a coordinated response to the various challenges emerging from the pandemic. MEA added that they will also discuss regional issues and collectively affirm the importance of maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as QUAD, is an informal strategic forum between India, US, Japan, and Australia. The strategic alliance was formed to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and check China’s expansionist efforts in the region, which has become a major cause of concern for a rules-based order. 

Read: Japan, US, India, Australia Plan To Hold QUAD Security Dialogue In October: Report

Read: US, India To Strengthen Relations Through Quad Consultations With Japan & Australia

Meeting with Suga possible

According to Japanese media reports, a face-to-face meeting between the foreign ministers of the visiting nations and the newly-elected Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is also being arranged. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said on September 19 that Suga is preparing to meet top US diplomat Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of QUAD security dialogue. 

In July, the United States and Australia had reaffirmed their commitment to Quad consultations with India and Japan. At a press briefing, US State Secretary Mile Pompeo and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne had said that the Indo-Pacific is the focus of the alliance and the two countries are working side-by-side to strengthen their networked structure of alliances and partnerships.

Read: US, Australia Reaffirm Commitment To Quad Alliance With India, Japan Amid Chinese Threat

Read: Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga To Meet Mike Pompeo In Early October: Report