Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong to visit India to attend Quad meet

Canberra: Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong is set to travel to India on Monday to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and deliberate on "shared interests", including maritime security and critical minerals.

India is hosting the meeting in its capacity as the current chair of the coalition on Tuesday.

“In these uncertain times, the Quad is a vital partnership – four nations working together to shape a peaceful, stable and prosperous future for the Indo-Pacific region,” Wong was quoted as saying in a press release issued on Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs’ website.  Wong said that  Australia, India, Japan and the United States are “delivering concrete outcomes on shared interests including maritime security, critical minerals supply, infrastructure development and disaster relief.” She said that she will also hold the 17th Australia-India Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with the Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar while in India.  Wong asserted that Australia and India’s partnership has “never been more consequential.” “As Comprehensive Strategic Partners, Australia and India are deepening cooperation in trade and investment, defence and maritime security, climate and energy transition, strategic technology, and education and skills; with an enduring social connection at the heart of our partnership,” she said.  The Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, has emerged as a key grouping largely focusing on peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently on a visit to India, will also attend the meeting.  The upcoming meeting is also likely to set the broad agenda of the Quad summit that is likely to take place in India later this year.