India, Japan, Australia to Hold Trilateral Meet in New Delhi

The meet would focus on challenges like seaborne terror and maritime territorial dispute in Indo-Pacific region.

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a joint press conference following the Russia-India-China Foreign Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi on 11 December.  

(Photo: PTI)

A day after Russia, India and China held the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meeting in New Delhi discussing a range of regional and global issues, India is set to hold its fourth trilateral meet with Japan and Australia on Tuesday, 12 December.

An Economic Times report said that the last three editions of the meet have concentrated on “developing joint initiatives and concretising joint maritime projects, including security, naval cooperation and disaster relief operations.”

It further said that this meet would focus on the prevailing challenges like “seaborne terror, North Korea, maritime territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region”.

A month earlier, India, the US, Japan and Australia held their firstofficial-level Quadrilateral talks in Phillipines to keep the Indo-Pacific region free, open and inclusive, a move that comes amid China’s growing military presence in the strategic area.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said the consultations were held on issues of common interest in the Indo-Pacific region with a focus on cooperation based on converging vision and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in the area.

“They agreed that a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large. The officials also exchanged views on addressing common challenges of terrorism and proliferation linkages impacting the region as well as on enhancing connectivity,” said MEA’s statement.

India-Australia Defence Secretaries First ‘2+2’ Dialogue

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra held the first ‘2+2’ Foreign Secretaries and Defence Secretaries dialogue with their Australian counterparts.

All aspects of bilateral relations with a focus on strategic and defence relations between the two countries were reviewed, a press release said.

Both the sides agreed that a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large.

(With inputs from PTI.)