Japan, Australia Agree To Push Quad Under Trump's Second Presidency
WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- The foreign ministers of Japan and Australia agreed Sunday that their cooperation with the United States (US) and India under the Quad grouping should continue to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Kyodo News reported.
The meeting between Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong took place in Washington on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Iwaya said there is a need, "more than ever," for Japan and Australia to play a leading role in realising a free and open Indo-Pacific, working hand in hand with the US and other partners.
Iwaya and Wong agreed that the security environment in the region is becoming increasingly severe and that Tokyo and Canberra will advance "multilayered" cooperation with like-minded countries, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
A meeting of the top diplomats of the four countries is expected to take place on Tuesday after Trump's pick for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is confirmed by the Senate, according to officials involved in its planning.
Iwaya and Wong also agreed to boost bilateral cooperation on economic issues, as well as in areas such as cybersecurity and people-to-people exchanges, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, Iwaya later met separately with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who was invited by Trump's team to attend his inauguration ceremony along with the top Japanese and Australian diplomats.
During his meeting with Jaishankar, Iwaya said Japan and India share fundamental values and have "a great responsibility for the peace and prosperity of the international community," according to the Japanese ministry.
The two also discussed ongoing efforts under the Quad and agreed to make the year from April a period of cooperation on science and technology, as Japan and India 2025 are marking the 40th anniversary of their partnership in the field, the ministry said.
– BERNAMA-KYODO
