EAM Jaishankar meets US Secretary Blinken ahead of Quad meeting

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday in Tokyo ahead of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Jaishankar said that they had a wide ranging discussion on regional and global issues.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Great to catch up with @SecBlinken in Tokyo today. Our bilateral agenda progresses steadily. Also had a wide ranging discussion on regional and global issues. Look forward to attending the Quad FMM tomorrow.”

Earlier on Sunday, EAM S Jaishankar unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Freedom Plaza in Edogawa, Tokyo on the sidelines of the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting.

Jaishankar attended the ceremony in the presence of Edogawa Mayor, Takeshi Saito, Sibi George, the Ambassador of India to Japan and other ministers, with a group of schoolchildren singing Gandhi’s favourite prayer, “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.”

Jaishankar said that through this gesture, Japan wishes to deepen its ties with India.

“We have gathered here today because Edogawa ward and Mayor Takeshi Saito have decided that they will build a relationship with India by having this wonderful statue of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi. At this venue and at this park, which they will be naming after him.”

Jaishankar said that Mahatma Gandhi is a global icon as his messages through his life are timeless.

“We have to ask ourselves today, why is it important to have this statue here… the achievements of Gandhi have far outlived his times, with the passage of time, they have become more important. What he taught us, was important then as well as now.”

Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.