S Jaishankar and Mike Pompeo, the Indian External Affairs Minister and US Secretary of State respectively, will meet at the QUAD Ministerial. This meeting will explore where both the ministers and countries stand on various issues. The issues they will likely discuss are rising global tension with China, and COVID-19 restrictions and slow down. They will be accompanied by their counterparts from Australia and Japan as well. The meeting between S Jaishankar and Mike Pompeo will mark their first rendezvous since the LAC standoff in Eastern Ladakh. Also, the United States has presented its concern over the rising conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region. Hence, they hope to sprout about lucrative consequences from it.
S Jaishankar and Mike Pompeo at QUAD in Tokyo, Japan
Both the ministers from India and the United States respectively will go on to attend a two-day QUAD Ministerial meeting held in Tokyo, Japan. The QUAD alliance or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a strategic forum between the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. This alliance between the member countries make them eligible for semi-regular summits, and military drills. Amidst the pandemic, the debate of whether holding the QUAD meet came to a conclusion, and hence, the minister will hold the meetings in Tokyo, Japan.
S Jaishankar and Mike Pompeo “asserted the need to work together to advance peace and prosperity.”
US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Cale Brown iterated the need for a meet. He also said that both the ministers “agreed to continue close cooperation on a full range of regional and international issues.”
What both the ministers personally want to address
Productive meeting today with Indian Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar. Together we are advancing U.S.-India relations, combatting COVID-19, and ensuring a secure and prosperous #IndoPacific for all. pic.twitter.com/p09FnSrQBV
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 6, 2020
Mike Pompeo expressed his concern over the rising conflicts in the border areas. He said that the meeting will bring about lucrative measures to address the issues at hand. These issues are sanctions on Iran, resuing oil imports to zero from Tehran, rising terrorism from Pakistan, waiver on CAATSA sanctions on Russia, and the defense purchases. Consequently, the meeting will also bring about adequate measures to tackle the straining LAC standoff. Mike Pompeo said, “We are hoping to have some significant announcements. To meet with our QUAD partners is a project we’ve been preparing for.”
Before leaving for Tokyo, he also talked with US President Donald Trump over the phone. He assured that this conversation gave him a green signal to approach the other representatives and execute the motives in mind.
