Jaishankar to attend ASEAN, Quad foreign ministers’ meetings in Manila

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Manila on July 22-23 to participate in a series of ASEAN-led ministerial meetings, including the ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), as India steps up its engagement with Southeast Asia under the Act East Policy.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday that Jaishankar's visit underscores India's commitment to further strengthen the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and comes at a time when 2026 has been designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation.

The meetings are expected to focus on regional security, maritime cooperation, connectivity, economic engagement and developments in the Indo-Pacific, besides reviewing progress in ASEAN's dialogue partnerships.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN-related meetings, Jaishankar will also participate in a meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the United States. The discussions are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including maritime security, resilient supply chains, critical and emerging technologies, and other regional and global issues.

The External Affairs Minister is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from participating countries to review bilateral ties and discuss issues of mutual interest.

The visit comes as India continues to deepen its strategic engagement with Southeast Asia through its Act East Policy, with ASEAN remaining a key pillar of New Delhi's Indo-Pacific vision.

The designation of 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation is expected to provide fresh momentum to collaboration in maritime security, the blue economy, connectivity and capacity building.