Defense & Security

Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Reaffirms Quad Ties with Australian, Indian Counterparts; Ministers Meet Ahead of U.S. President-elect Trump’s Inauguration Ceremony

Courtesy of the Foreign Ministry
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, right, shakes hands with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong ahead of their talks in Washington on Sunday.

By Kenta Kamimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:35 JST, January 20, 2025

WASHINGTON — Japan, Australia and India agreed to continue cooperation within the Quad, a framework between the three countries and the United States, during the two separate talks of Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya with his Australian and Indian counterparts in Washington on Sunday.

Iwaya held the talks ahead of attending Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony as U.S. president, and he and his counterparts reaffirmed Quad ties, keeping in mind China’s increasingly hegemonic moves.

In talks with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Iwaya said, “It is important for Japan and Australia to play roles for realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific region while joining with the United States and other like-minded countries.”

Wong added that Canberra wants to further strengthen Japan-Australia relations in a wide range of fields.

In talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the two ministers agreed to cooperate in progressing in the fields of science and technology, as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the bilateral agreement in the fields.