External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Tokyo on Monday to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation in key areas such as security, trade, and education. The discussions also focused on deepening practical cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region.
Jaishankar and Wong are in Tokyo for the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting, which includes representatives from Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. The Quad was established in November 2017 to develop a strategy for maintaining freedom of navigation and security in the Indo-Pacific.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jaishankar expressed enthusiasm about the meeting, 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.”
On the previous day, Jaishankar held “wide-ranging” discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, addressing recent strains in India-U.S. relations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia.
Earlier in his visit, Jaishankar unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Freedom Plaza in Edogawa, Tokyo. He arrived in Japan from Laos for the two-day Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
