US Secretary of State Blinken arrives for Quad Foreign Ministers meet

New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday arrived at Taj Palace to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers meet on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue.

A panel discussion on “The Quad Squad: Power and Purpose of the Polygon,” is going to be held today where Quad Foreign Ministers will be participating at the event from 9:10-9:50 am, which will be moderated by the President of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Samir Saran.
The meeting will be chaired by External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, and will see the participation of Foreign Ministers of Australia, Penny Wong and Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

The meeting will be an opportunity for the Ministers to continue their discussions held at their last meeting in New York in September 2022, read the MEA press release.

They will exchange views on recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region and regional issues of mutual interest, guided by their vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

The Ministers will also review progress made by the Quad in pursuit of its constructive agenda and implementation of initiatives aimed at addressing contemporary priorities of the region, added the release.

The Quad evokes images of security partnership, of a development alliance, and even of a consultative committee. One and a half years since the first Leaders’ Summit, the Quad is now facing a choice between focusing on its core identity, or seeking the benefits that might come from being a more amorphous and reactive grouping.

As nations shift their attention to growth and the reconfiguration of their global economic partnerships, how will the Quad remain relevant? How does the re-emergence of land war in Europe implicate the future of a maritime grouping in the Indo-Pacific? will be the topic of panel discussion.

The US has signed an ambitious tech partnership with Australia and the UK; is part of the I2U2 focused on West Asia; has entered into a new bilateral technology agreement with India; and has a close tech alliance with Japan.

The panel will also discuss, how do these overlapping agreements and partnerships integrate with the Quad’s tech agenda? What path can it pick between a tight, action-focused coalition and a relatively minimalist ambition that might more easily incorporate other actors in the Indo-Pacific?