S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, met with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Tokyo on Monday to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation in security, trade, and education. They are attending a meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers, which includes Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. Jaishankar emphasised the significance of strengthening practical cooperation throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
During their conversation, Jaishankar and Wong discussed tightening engagement and expanding their partnership within the Quad framework. Jaishankar said on X, “We discussed further efforts to strengthen our bilateral ties, notably in security, trade, and education. I look forward to continuing this at the Quadruple Foreign Ministers Meeting soon.”
The Quad, created in November 2017, aspires to keep Indo-Pacific water lanes open and free of influence. On Sunday, Jaishankar had extensive discussions with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about current strains in India-US relations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia.
Jaishankar also presented a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Freedom Plaza in Edogawa, Tokyo, with Edogawa Mayor Takeshi Saito and Indian Ambassador to Japan Sibi George. He also communicated with the Indian population in Japan, writing on X, “The little India in Edogawa is thriving.” I’m pleased to see such strong people-to-people ties.”
