PM to visit Tokyo for the Quad meeting, likely to meet the new Australian PM
On the sidelines of the upcoming Quad summit in Tokyo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with his new Australian counterpart as the incumbent Scot Morrison conceded defeat on Saturday and congratulated the incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“Elections are being held in Australia today. The next Australian Prime Minister is likely to attend the Quad summit. It is expected that the PM will meet the new Australian leader in Tokyo,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said here at a briefing.
Modi will travel to Japan on an official visit on May 23 and 24 to participate in the summit at invitation of the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
He will also hold bilateral meetings with US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Kishida. Modi will also address the Indian community in Japan and meet Japanese business leaders seeking investment.
Asked whether China’s aggressive behaviour in the region and border issues with India would feature in Quad discussions, Kwatra said, “Indo-Pacific has challenges and opportunities. When Quad leaders speak, both challenges and opportunities are talked about.”
The Foreign Secretary said Prime Minister Modi would discuss furthering Indo-Japan relations with Prime Minister Kishida. “In Tokyo, the two Prime Ministers will continue their discussion on deepening bilateral economic cooperation including trade and investment, clean energy and cooperation in the northeast.”
Kwatra said the upcoming summit would provide the leaders with an opportunity to take stock of the progress made so far and give guidance for the future.
"Quad cooperation is anchored in the shared values and commitment to the principles of democracy, international law, rules-based international order as also the vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," he noted.
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