QUAD meeting 2020: EAM Jaishankar says India, US will work for 'stability' in Indo-Pacific

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his American counterpart, Mike Pompeo, on the sidelines of the Quad ministerial meeting on October 6. Jaishankar tweeted a picture of him and Pompeo after arriving in Tokyo and expressed pleasure over the progress in India-US partnership in various fields.

Foreign ministers of India, US, Japan, and Australia are in Tokyo to participate in the second QUAD security dialogue. Jaishankar, along with other foreign ministers, met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during his two-day visit and spoke about the bilateral and global dimensions of the “special partnership.” 

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. 

Read: Pompeo Arrives In Tokyo For QUAD Talks, Hails Japan PM During Shortened Trip

Read: Japan PM Suga's Decision To Reject Scholars For Advisory Council Draws Criticism

'Force of good'

Earlier today, Pompeo hailed Suga as a “force of good” during his curtailed visit to Tokyo for bilateral and Quad consultations. Pompeo’s scheduled visit to South Korea and Mongolia, during his trip to Asia, was scrapped after US President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19.

“Prime Minister Suga was a powerful force for good, and for this relationship, too, when he was the chief cabinet secretary,” Pompeo said at the start of a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.

Pompeo and Motegi said that they will lead a regional initiative “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” to counter China’s assertiveness in the region. In July, Pompeo and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne had said that the Indo-Pacific is the focus of the alliance, reaffirming their commitment to Quad consultations with India and Japan.

Read: EAM S Jaishankar To Visit Japan For QUAD Ministerial Meeting, Bilateral Consultations

Read: MEA Jaishankar, Former Afghan Vice President Dostum Discuss Peace Talk Developments

(Image: Twitter / @DrSJaishankar)