Jaishankar holds talks with Japanese, Australian counterparts ahead of Quad ministers’ meet

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held separate meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Japan and Australia in Washington, DC, ahead of the swearing-in of US President-elect Donald Trump. The Foreign Ministers of the Quad nations — India, Australia, Japan and the United States — are expected to meet during the visit.

Jaishankar met Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and later posted on X, “Reviewed the progress in our bilateral cooperation. Also discussed developments pertaining to Quad.” Japan’s Foreign Ministry added that the meeting marked the 40th anniversary of the Japan-India agreement on science and technology cooperation. The ministers agreed to designate April 2025 to March 2026 as the “Japan-India Science Technology and Innovation Exchange Year” (STIY25) to boost collaboration in these areas.

In his meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Jaishankar described their discussion as engaging, posting, “Delighted to meet FM Wong, a Quad colleague, in Washington DC today. As always, enjoyed our discussion on the state of the world.”

During his visit, Jaishankar is set to meet members of the incoming Trump administration, including Secretary of State-elect Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser-elect Michael Waltz.

Rubio, a vocal supporter of US-India relations, introduced the ‘United States-India Defence Cooperation Act of 2024’, which aims to enhance the military relationship between the two nations. Rubio also seeks to treat India as a NATO-equivalent partner for specific defence deals.

Waltz, upon assuming the NSA role, will co-chair the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) with Indian NSA Ajit Doval. The iCET framework focuses on cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, advanced telecommunications and other cutting-edge technologies.