New Delhi, May 26: Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on the sidelines of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting. The leaders discussed various topics, including trade agreements, defense cooperation, and critical minerals. During the meeting, Minister Jaishankar emphasized ongoing discussions about essential minerals between the two nations.
While meeting with Minister Wong, Dr. Jaishankar stated, “We have seen several positive developments. Our Prime Ministers met in November, and we had the opportunity to host your Speaker in January. Our somewhat complex ministerial structure is functioning well, allowing different ministers and ministries to connect. Regarding trade and investment, we are negotiating to move from the ECTA to the AICA. In terms of energy, we have energy trade.”
The External Affairs Minister expressed a desire to enhance uranium supply, noting improvements in India’s nuclear sector that would boost nuclear energy. “Our teams are also discussing critical minerals,” he added.
Dr. Jaishankar remarked, “I believe people are engaging with each other. Our defense exchanges and exercises are resuming, with maritime cooperation at the forefront. We have had discussions on space collaboration, and sports is an issue that is back on the radar. Certainly, our morning at the Quad meeting was productive, but this evening, I would like to discuss the rest of the world, our neighborhood, your neighborhood, and the trilaterals we are both part of.”
During the Quad meeting, the Indian External Affairs Minister highlighted that Quad nations would strengthen cooperation in various areas, such as maritime surveillance, domain awareness, logistics networks, undersea cables, training, capacity building, and disaster relief activities.
“This is our first meeting of 2026. We met twice in 2025. Most discussions and bilateral talks focused on the current global situation. As Quad members, we paid special attention to issues related to the Indo-Pacific, as we are four democratic countries located in different parts of the Indo-Pacific. The exchange of ideas has been quite beneficial,” he stated.
He added, “Cooperation in the maritime domain is continuously increasing, including surveillance and domain awareness, logistics networks, maritime cables, training, capacity building, and disaster relief activities. We will continue to enhance cooperation in these areas. We also discussed the importance of safe and uninterrupted maritime trade and reiterated the significance of strict adherence to international law. Our four countries have market-based economies. We believe that economic strength should be enhanced, supply chains secured, reliable technology promoted, and production capacity increased. Our discussions also covered energy, fertilizers, critical minerals, and resource availability. Our goal is to increase mutual cooperation while assisting other countries.”
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