Washington/New Delhi: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who is in Washington for the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the USA, said she is pleased with the invitation extended to Quad Foreign Ministers by the incoming Trump administration.
In a chat with newspersons in Washington, Wong said she met with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar:
“As you know, Quad Foreign Ministers are also here in DC for the inauguration. I had the opportunity today to meet with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and the Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya ahead of the inauguration.
“We’re really pleased at the invitation extended to Quad Foreign Ministers. It’s a demonstration of the collective commitment of all countries to the Quad, an iron-clad commitment in this time where close cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is so important.”
Ahead of her Washington trip, Wong said in a statement: “The Foreign Ministers of India and Japan will also attend the inauguration. I look forward to engaging with my Quad counterparts. We share an unwavering commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
The Trump nominee for Secretary of State is Marco Rubio.
However, there is no official word on a meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers post the inauguration of Trump as president.
