Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is set to arrive in New Delhi late on Monday evening as the capital prepares to host the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 26 May.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Wong will participate in the high-level deliberations alongside her counterparts from India, Japan, and the United States.
She is scheduled to deliver joint press statements, call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Seva Teerth later in the evening, and hold bilateral discussions with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
Ahead of her visit, Wong described the Quad as a vital partnership for shaping a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. She emphasised that Australia and India’s partnership has never been more consequential, noting that she will also co-chair the 17th Australia-India Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with Dr Jaishankar during her stay. This dialogue is expected to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across strategic, economic, and security domains.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already arrived in India ahead of the meeting, while Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is scheduled to reach New Delhi for a two-day visit. Motegi will also call on Prime Minister Modi and hold talks with Dr Jaishankar, underscoring the depth of bilateral and multilateral engagement surrounding the Quad gathering.
The presence of all four ministers highlights the importance of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in addressing regional challenges.
India is hosting the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Jaishankar, with discussions expected to focus on the evolving security matrix of the Indo-Pacific and the growing friction points across West Asia.
The meeting will build on the framework established during the last Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington, D.C., on 1 July 2025. The ministers will exchange views on advancing cooperation across priority areas, review progress on ongoing initiatives, and reflect on recent developments in the Indo-Pacific and other international issues of mutual concern.
The gathering represents a major diplomatic deployment, reinforcing the Quad’s vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. It comes at a time when regional powers are intensifying collaboration to safeguard maritime security, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based order.
The meeting is expected to reaffirm the Quad’s role as a cornerstone of strategic stability in the Indo-Pacific, while also addressing broader global challenges such as critical technology, climate resilience, and infrastructure development.
ANI
