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EYE ON INDIA JULY 04, 2025 | The Indian Eye 8

Quad Foreign Ministers to

Meet in Washington, Amid Rising

Indo-Pacific Stakes

The July 1 meeting of Quad foreign ministers in Washington signals growing strategic

convergence on defense, China, and regional resilience.

OUR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR the vast maritime region. This initia-
tive is expected to be a central item in
Washington, DC
the July 1 discussions.
ith Indo-Pacific tensions India’s growing military ties with
rising and multilateral se- the U.S. form the backbone of its
Wcurity frameworks under role in the Quad. Hegseth praised
strain, the July 1 meeting of Quad the U.S.-India defense relationship
foreign ministers in Washington is as a “cornerstone” of America’s In-
set to chart a bold course for region- do-Pacific strategy, citing co-develop-
al cooperation. Representatives from ment of defense systems, increasing
India, the United States, Japan, and interoperability, and shared intelli-
Australia will convene in what is being gence as milestones.
described as a critical moment to shift From joint exercises to technol-
the Quad from dialogue to coordinat- ogy transfers and defense industrial
ed deterrence. collaboration, the partnership has be-
This meeting follows Prime come operationally deep. A trilateral
Minister Narendra Modi’s recent military exercise involving India, the
phone call with U.S. President Don- U.S., and Japan is reportedly under
ald Trump on June 18, during which planning, and joint space and cyber
Trump accepted Modi’s invitation to security cooperation are on the table.
attend the next Quad leaders’ sum- The July 1 meeting will likely
mit in New Delhi later this year. The build on these defense frameworks,
call, held on the sidelines of the G7 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the Washington meeting (ANI file photo) with Jaishankar expected to push for
Summit in Canada, confirmed both more concrete deliverables, especial-
leaders’ personal commitment to el- rity, logistics sharing, and emerging resilience. But perhaps most impor- ly in the maritime domain.
evating the Quad’s role in securing a technologies. A core priority will be tantly, it will signal that the Quad— Analysts believe the July 1 meet-
free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific. formalizing the Indo-Pacific Logistics once dismissed as a “talk shop”—is ing could produce announcements
Confirming the development, Network, a joint Quad initiative to now evolving into a practical plat- around maritime domain awareness,
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, enable real-time operational coordi- form for collective security. collaborative drone technologies,
“For the next meeting of Quad, PM nation through shared infrastructure As one senior Indian diplomat cyber norms, and perhaps new infra-
Modi invited President Trump to In- and supply chains. noted, “This meeting is a litmus structure finance mechanisms in the
dia. While accepting the invitation, India’s External Affairs Minister test. It’s about turning commitments region. A follow-up meeting of de-
President Trump said that he is excit- S. Jaishankar, U.S. Secretary of State into capabilities and shaping a rules- fense ministers may also be discussed
ed to come to India.” Mike Pompeo, Japanese Foreign based order that can stand up to re- to convert foreign policy goals into
The phone conversation also in- Minister Yoko Kamikawa, and Aus- al-world pressure.” joint operational frameworks.
cluded discussions on several global tralian Foreign Minister Penny Wong Recently, U.S. Secretary of With the Indo-Pacific fast be-
flashpoints. According to Misri, the will be present at the table. Defense Pete Hegseth emphasized coming the world’s geopolitical
two leaders “shared their perspec- “The Washington meeting is that Quad cooperation with India center of gravity, the Quad foreign
tives on the Indo-Pacific region and about delivering outcomes, not just is no longer just symbolic. “We are ministers’ meeting is not just a re-
expressed support for the important signaling intent,” said an Indian of- expanding our security partnerships gional affair—it’s a global signal.
role of Quad in the region.” They ficial. “India will push for deeper with India through robust military The Quad’s evolution from dialogue
also discussed the Israel-Iran conflict maritime coordination, regional in- exercises like Tiger Triumph and to action will be closely watched
and agreed on the need for direct frastructure development, and more amplifying cooperation within the from Beijing to Brussels.
dialogue to resolve the ongoing Rus- direct military interoperability.” Quad,” he said at the Shangri-La In that context, India’s participa-
sia-Ukraine war. The foreign ministers’ meeting Dialogue in Singapore. tion is both strategic and symbolic. It
Diplomatic insiders suggest that is expected to address a wide range He also announced the Indo-Pa- reinforces the country’s commitment
the July 1 ministerial will move be- of challenges: military coordination, cific Logistics Network, which allows to a multipolar Asia—one that resists
yond rhetoric and unveil new deliv- critical technologies, cybersecurity, Quad countries to pool logistical and coercion, protects sovereignty, and
erables focused on maritime secu- maritime security, and supply chain supply chain assets for operations in values strategic autonomy.

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