Rubio meets with Quad counterparts on 1st day as secretary of state

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan on Tuesday, hours after being sworn in as the country’s top diplomat under the Trump administration.

The meeting signaled the continuation of US engagement with the “Quad” grouping, viewed as a response to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a joint statement after the meeting in Washington between Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, the four countries announced plans for regular meetings in preparation for a leaders' summit in India.

"We, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India and Japan, met today in Washington, D.C. to reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended," they said in the statement.

"We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.”

Emphasizing their commitment to "strengthening regional maritime, economic and technology security," the four nations expressed their resolve to address growing threats and promote reliable, resilient supply chains.

Before the Quad meeting, Rubio said he would "reaffirm the importance of collaborating with allies worldwide on issues that matter to America and its people."

"Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump Administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states," Jaishankar said on X following the meeting.

In a separate meeting with Jaishankar, Rubio "emphasized the Trump Administration’s desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration," according to the State Department.