Vikrant Shekhawat : Jan 18, 2025, 07:40 PM
Quad Countries Meeting: On January 20, the newly elected US President Donald Trump is going to take oath as President for his second term. Trump is seen very active regarding the swearing-in ceremony. Meanwhile, an important meeting of the foreign ministers of the Quad group is going to be held on January 21, which is likely to be held in Washington DC.First QUAD meeting of Donald Trump's second termThis meeting will be very important in terms of the foreign policy of Trump's new administration. The foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the US will participate in it. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar will also attend this meeting.Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has informed that Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Australia's Penny Wong and America's new Foreign Minister Marco Rubio will attend the meeting. This will be the first time after the swearing-in that the foreign ministers of these countries will discuss mutual strategic plans with the Trump administration.Discussion on the objectives of QUADThe objective of the Quad is to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The group is committed to promoting maritime security, freedom of navigation and regional cooperation. The group, which began in 2007, was closed in 2008 due to Australia's withdrawal, but was reactivated in 2017.Contradiction between China and QUADChina has long opposed QUAD. It believes that this group has been created to weaken its influence. China's aggressive stance on the South China Sea dispute and Taiwan is a big challenge for QUAD.China is currently leading an informal alliance, which includes countries like Russia, Iran and North Korea. Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia is facing isolation from Western countries, and has become more dependent on China. Similarly, US sanctions on Iran and North Korea have also made them allies of China.Strategic relevance of QUADThe security of the Indo-Pacific region as well as India's economic and military development will be considered in this meeting. This group helps India to counter the influence of China and strengthen its diplomatic efforts.This meeting of Donald Trump's second term is considered important not only for regional stability but also for global strategic balance. It will be interesting to see how the Trump administration prioritizes QUAD in its new foreign policy.