F.P Report
WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had a conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, on Thursday.
According to the official statement of U.S State Department, the Ministers discussed Quadrilateral (“Quad”) cooperation on COVID-19 response and recovery and climate change and committed to working together to address these global challenges.
Highlighting the contemporary challenges, the Ministers also discussed countering disinformation, counterterrorism, maritime security, the urgent need to reinstate the democratically elected government in Burma, and the priority of strengthening democratic resilience in the broader region.
The participants reaffirmed their mutual support for ASEAN centrality, the statement added.
Moreover, during the conversation between the ministers they reiterated their commitment to the Quad meeting at least annually at the Ministerial level and on a regular basis at senior and working levels to strengthen cooperation on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including support for freedom of navigation and territorial integrity, the press statement added.
