Quad Ministers Meeting: Preparing for the Upcoming Summit

Getting Ready for the Quad Summit

Quad foreign ministers will meet soon in Washington. This meeting is important. It sets the stage for the Quad summit that India will host later this year. The Quad is an informal group. It includes Australia, India, Japan, and the US. They plan to meet in late June or early July. The exact date depends on when the ministers are available.

Setting the Stage

The foreign ministers’ meeting will prepare for the summit. Key leaders will attend. These include US President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The meeting shows the Trump administration’s strong support for the Quad. The group aims to promote a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Strengthening Ties

The Trump administration started its diplomatic efforts with a Quad meeting on January 21. This was just a day after the president’s second inauguration. The Quad remains strong despite trade and tariff differences. For India, the group’s focus on practical issues is crucial. These include infrastructure, healthcare, and climate change.

Key Areas of Focus

The Quad focuses on several important areas:

• Building infrastructure
• Managing debt
• Improving healthcare
• Developing new technologies
• Reforming the UN
• Addressing climate change
• Providing humanitarian aid

Counterterrorism is another key area. The meeting will likely condemn recent terrorist attacks. In the past, Quad leaders have condemned attacks like those in Mumbai and Pathankot. They have also called on all states to follow international standards on anti-money laundering and combating terror-financing, as recommended by FATF.

Upcoming Summits and India’s Role

The date for the Quad summit is not yet set. However, it may happen around the same time as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders’ meeting in China. This is scheduled for late August or early September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet responded to the SCO summit invitation. But India is expected to participate in some way. This allows India to show its strategic independence.

Besides the Quad and SCO summits, India also hopes to host Russian President Vladimir Putin for the annual summit this year.