Ahead of Trump inauguration, Jaishankar meets foreign ministers of Australia, Japan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia and Japan in Washington DC on Sunday, on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump.

Along with Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya are in Washington DC, at the invitation of the President-elect to attend the ceremony.

“Delighted to meet FM @SenatorWong, a Quad colleague, in Washington DC today. As always, enjoyed our discussion on the state of the world,” Jaishankar posted on X after meeting Australian FM Penny Wong.

“Good to meet with FM Takeshi Iwaya of Japan. Reviewed the progress in our bilateral cooperation. Also discussed developments pertaining to Quad,” he said in another post after his meeting with the Japanese foreign minister.

During the meeting, the leaders discussed bilateral issues and those pertaining to the Quad.

The Quad initiative was started during the first term of Donald Trump with the objective of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and boosting cooperation. Australia, India, Japan and the United States are the member states. The outgoing Joe Biden administration elevated the forum to a leadership level.

Marco Rubio’s first meeting as Secretary of State is likely to be a Quad ministerial dialogue. This highlights the importance the second term of the Trump administration places on the group.

Trump prioritises strengthening India-US ties

Rubio and President-elect Trump have made it a priority to take the India-US relationship to the next level, sources told news agency PTI.

Rubio is keen to have his first bilateral with Jaishankar once he is confirmed as Secretary of State, the sources said.

The meeting might happen within a few hours of Rubio arriving at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.

Rubio’s Senate confirmation is expected on Monday evening and he is likely to be sworn in as the top American diplomat soon.

All three Quad foreign ministers are here to attend the inauguration of Trump as the 47th president of the US on Monday. Jaishankar is attending the swearing-in ceremony at the invitation of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, according to a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release.

JD Vance meets Chinese counterpart

Earlier, Vice President-elect JD Vance welcomed Chinese Vice President Han Zheng to the US for the inauguration. The two leaders discussed a range of topics including fentanyl, balancing trade, and regional stability, a media release said.

With inputs from PTI