Japan PM Suga receives courtesy call from visiting ministers ahead of Quad talks

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga received a courtesy call from foreign ministers of India, Australia, and the United States ahead of the Quad ministerial meeting on October 6. According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Suga told the ministers that the challenges arising out of the coronavirus pandemic further necessitates the deepening of ties with all those countries which share the vision of “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

The visiting ministers congratulated the Japanese Prime Minister on his appointment and agreed to reinforce a rules-based, free and open international order through cooperation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo, and Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne confirmed further collaboration among the four nations for the peace and stability in the region, the Japanese ministry said in a statement.

“In addition, Prime Minister SUGA expressed his expectation for the four ministers to have free and candid discussions at the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,” the statement read.

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Jaishankar-Pompeo meet

Japan’s Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu,  Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Sakai Manabu, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Adachi Masashi, and others attended the courtesy call. Earlier today, Jaishankar met Pompeo on the sidelines of the Quad ministerial meeting and expressed pleasure over the progress in India-US partnership in various fields.

During the Quad talks, 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 had said 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. 

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(Image: Twitter / @DrSJaishankar)