It will be attended by Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. Jaishankar is also expected to hold separate bilateral talks with his counterparts on the sidelines of the gathering.
The Quad grouping of the four nations has increasingly positioned itself as a strategic coalition focused on maintaining peace, stability and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. The meeting comes as concerns deepen over regional flashpoints, including tensions in the South China Sea, among others.The ministers are also expected to review progress on existing Quad initiatives covering maritime security, infrastructure, connectivity and regional resilience.
At the last Quad summit in Wilmington in 2024, leaders of the four nations announced steps to expand maritime cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.
The New Delhi meeting is likely to help shape the agenda for the next Quad leaders’ summit, which India is expected to host later this year as the current chair of the grouping.
Rubio, however, will arrive in India on May 23 to discuss on energy security, trade and defence cooperation separately. He earlier said the US is ready to sell as much energy as India needs to mitigate the shortage caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz,
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