Quad Foreign Ministers Meet: EAM S Jaishankar calls for Free and Open Indo-Pacific

4th Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting: On 11^th February 2022, Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the Fourth Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting held at Melbourne – Australia. The meeting was attended by his counter parts from US, Australia and Japan. While representing India at the Quad Forum, Mr Jaishankar called for a free can open Indo-Pacific and also called upon the member nations to work to uphold international order based on respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty, and freedom of navigation.

Free and Open Indo-Pacific

At the 4^th Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, EAM Jaishankar called for a free and open Indo-pacific and urged member nations to work towards ensuring a rule-based international order. He said since their last meeting in Feb 2021, the global geo-political and geo-economic order has become more complex. He called upon the member nations to work towards rule-based international order which is free from coercion and respects “territorial integrity and sovereignty, rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in the international seas and peaceful resolution.”

Appreciate that PM @ScottMorrisonMP met the Quad FMs collectively before we began talks. His insights and thoughts were valuable.

We are focused on the early and effective realization of our Leaders' vision. pic.twitter.com/VfKMSRcbdw

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 11, 2022

Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting

Australia is hosting the 4^th Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting in Melbourne. Foreign Ministers from all 4 members nations of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) – i.e., Australia, India, Japan and the United States are meeting to discuss global order and rising geo-political and geo-economic challenges in the global order. Australia was being re-presented by  Foreign Minister Marise Payne who was joined by Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa, and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The Melbourne edition of Quad Foreign Ministers Meet is the 4^th in the series with the inaugural meeting being held in New York City in September 2019 followed by 2^nd Meeting in Tokyo in October 2022 and the virtual meeting held in February 2021.

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EAM’s Jaishankar 1^st Official Visit to Australia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also on his 1^st Official Visit to Australia from 10^th to 13^th February 2022. During his visit, Mr Jaishankar will also co-chair the 12th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue on 12^th Febraury 2022. As per MEA statement, during the visit, Ministers will review the progress of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discuss bilateral, multilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

On 12^th February, Foreign Ministers of India and Australia will also co-chair the inaugural Foreign Ministers' Cyber Framework Dialogue (FMCFD) with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. During the dialogue, ministers will assess the implementation of India-Australia Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation which was signed in June 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

EAM Jaishankar’s Visit to Philippines

Following this Australia visit, External Affairs Minister will also embark on this 1^st Bilateral visit to Philippines as well from 13 to 15^th February 2022. During his visit, Mr Jaishankar will hold bilateral talks with his counterpart, Teodoro L. Locsin Jr, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Australia and Philippines is being seen as India’s push to strengthen its bilateral relations with key partners in Indo-Pacific including ASEAN countries.

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