Penny Wong, Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister, has confirmed that she will be attending the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Washington, DC, and that she will also have bilateral discussions with India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar.
"The upcoming meeting, the second Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in six months, highlights the strategic importance and growing cooperation between the Quad countries amid evolving global and regional challenges," Wong said in an official statement issued on Sunday.
"I'm going to the United States this week to attend a Quad Foreign Ministers meeting. The significance of our partnership and the strategic challenges facing our region and the world are reflected in the fact that this will be the second such meeting in as many months", Penny Wong said.
She underlined that the talks would centre on bolstering group initiatives to guarantee an Indo-Pacific region that is peaceful, stable, and prosperous.
In order to strengthen bilateral cooperation in several important areas, Wong is also expected to have separate bilateral talks with her counterparts in Washington, including Japan's Foreign Minister Minoru Iwaya, India's EAM S Jaishankar, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
As we deepen our collaboration to guarantee a tranquil, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, I am eager to interact with my Quad counterparts. "In order to advance bilateral cooperation, I will also have separate meetings with each of my counterparts while I'm in Washington, DC," she continued.
Also Read: SCO goal is fighting terror; skipping it undermines outcome: EAM
Wong reiterated the close strategic ties between the US and Australia, saying, "Our main strategic partner and closest ally is the United States. The peace, prosperity, and stability of our nations and the area we share are enhanced by our alliance. We will keep cooperating to further our shared interests and our significant economic and security partnership."
At the invitation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that EAM S Jaishankar will travel to the United States from June 30 to July 2 in order to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting (QFMM), which is set for July 1.
Jaishankar will also open a special exhibition at the UN Headquarters that will highlight the worldwide effects of terrorist attacks and the international community's counterterrorism efforts as part of his official engagements in the United States. This visit represents a major turning point in India's continued engagement with the Quad alliance, which is made up of the US, Australia, Japan, and India and is dedicated to promoting economic growth, regional security, and strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Also Read: S Jaishankar speaks to Iran FM on regional tensions, peace effort
Follow us
