Regional strategic issues, the vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, are some of the main issues that are on the agenda of the QUAD foreign ministers meeting later this week. According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday (Feb 9, 2022), external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar is going to Australia and he will be there between Feb 10-13. The minister is going there at the invitation of his counterpart Ms Marise Payne. As has been reported earlier, this is the minister’s first visit to Australia as a minister and also a first high-level visit to that country from India, after the opening of borders of that country which were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Agenda in Australia
The visit is related to the 4th QUAD Fms meeting in Melbourne, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foreign Minister of Japan Yoshimasa Hayashi, Australia’s Marise Payne and India’s Dr S Jaishankar will get an opportunity to review the decisions that were taken during the virtual meet in 2021.
The ministers, according to MEA will also review ongoing Quad cooperation and they are going to address the challenges which are related to critical technologies, infrastructure, supply chains, the global pandemic and other issues. At the meeting, the ministers will build on the constructive and positive agenda which was announced at the Leaders summit in the US in 2021.
Besides the QUAD, there is a bilateral component to the visit. Dr Jaishankar will also be co-chairing the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue which has been scheduled for Feb 12, 2022. The focus will be on reviewing the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, matters of mutual interest – bilateral and multilateral and regional.
Before departing to the Philippines, the minister will also co-chair the inaugural Foreign Ministers’ Cyber Framework Dialogue (FMCFD), with his Australian counterpart.
According to the MEA, the minister during his three-day visit to Australia is also scheduled to meet top political leaders, businesses, Indian Diaspora and students as well as academics.
Visit the Philippines
The visit comes close on the heels of a recently concluded defence export deal between the two countries. During his three day visit to the ASEAN member country starting Feb 13-15 is scheduled to hold talks with his counterpart, Teodoro L Locsin Jr., Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines.
Agenda of the visit
Both ministers will talk about the bilateral relations, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Financial Express Online had earlier reported during the visit, Dr Jaishankar is expected to meet with the top leadership of the Philippines and also interact with the Indian community in Manila.