(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the third Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo on May 24 along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the Prime Minister of Australia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday.
The Summit in Tokyo is the fourth interaction of Quad Leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021, in-person Summit in Washington DC in September 2021 and virtual meeting in March 2022, the MEA said in a statement.
According to the MEA, the summit will provide an opportunity for the leaders to exchange views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary global issues of mutual interest.
“The leaders will review progress of Quad initiatives and working groups, identify new areas of cooperation and provide strategic guidance and vision for future collaboration,” it said.
Quad is a key multilateral alliance consisting of India, Japan, Australia, and the US to ensure a free, open, and, secure Indo-Pacific.
Bilateral meetings on the sidelines of Quad Summit
Prime Minister Modi will have a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on May 24.
“The meeting with PM Kishida will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to carry forward their conversations from the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit held in March 2022, when PM Kishida visited India,” the MEA said.
During the visit, PM Modi will also participate in a Business Event with Japanese business leaders and also address and interact with the Indian community in Japan.
On the same day, Prime Minister Modi will have a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden. The meeting will mark a continuation of their regular dialogue having interacted most recently in virtual mode on April 11 this year.
According to the MEA, the two Leaders are expected to review the India-US Strategic Partnership and follow up on discussions held during PM’s bilateral meeting with President Biden in September 2021. They will also exchange views on regional and global developments of shared interest.
In addition to this, the Prime Minister is likely to have a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Australia, where elections are to be held on May 21.
The two Leaders are expected to review the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest, the MEA statement said.
The last bilateral meeting between the two Prime Ministers was held virtually on 21 March 2022 followed by the signing of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) on April 2, the MEA added.
(India News Network)
