Tokyo, January 13, 2025 – The Europe Today: The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia, and India are expected to convene in Washington, D.C., on January 21, a day after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, Japanese government officials announced Monday.
The ministerial meeting of the so-called Quad countries will emphasize the incoming Trump administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration among the four nations amid heightened U.S.-China rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Quad foreign ministers, including Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya, are anticipated to discuss organizing a summit of their leaders at an early date.
“The Trump administration’s emphasis on the Quad will have a significant impact on Indo-Pacific security,” Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, remarked in a post on the X social media platform.
The Quad framework, established to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, gained momentum during Trump’s first administration. The Quad foreign ministers began regular meetings in 2020, and the group held its first summit in 2021. Originally focused on issues like climate change, the Quad has expanded its cooperation to include maritime security in response to China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Minister Iwaya will travel to Washington to attend Trump’s presidential inauguration on January 20. During his visit, he is expected to meet with Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, to finalize arrangements for a proposed summit between Prime Minister Ishiba and President Trump.
