Representatives of the QUAD nations — India, Australia, Japan, and the United States — gathered in New Delhi on Tuesday for the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, beginning the event with a group photograph. Hosted by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, the meeting is being attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Marco Rubio arrived in Delhi on Tuesday along with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor to participate in the discussions. Earlier, Rubio had visited Jaipur’s historic Amer Fort with his wife Jeanette Rubio and Ambassador Gor as part of his ongoing four-day official visit to India. The trip is seen as an effort to strengthen India-US ties amid recent diplomatic challenges.

On Monday, Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi also held bilateral talks in New Delhi. According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Motegi reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to its “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” vision and stressed the importance of India-Japan cooperation, particularly through the Quad framework. Both sides agreed to deepen collaboration in areas such as economic security, supply chain resilience for critical materials, investment, and innovation under the “Japan-India Joint Vision for the Next Decade.”

Ahead of the meeting, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the Quad as an essential partnership for ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. She also highlighted the growing significance of Australia-India relations and announced plans to hold the 17th Australia-India Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with Dr. Jaishankar.

Speaking earlier alongside Marco Rubio, Jaishankar emphasized the increasing strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific, calling it a future “energy lifeline.” He noted that the Quad has continued to evolve since taking its current form during former US President Donald Trump’s administration and expressed confidence that the meeting would deliver strong outcomes. Key topics expected to dominate the discussions include promoting a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, strengthening maritime security and freedom of navigation, advancing cooperation in critical technologies, climate resilience and infrastructure, and addressing emerging regional and global security challenges.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.