Modi off to Tokyo for Quad meet

The second in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Japan will provide an opportunity for the leaders of four countries to review the progress of the grouping’s initiatives and exchange views on developments in the IndoPacific as well as on global issues of mutual interest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

Modi stated in his departure statement ahead of his visit to Japan from May 23-24 that he will also hold bilateral meetings with the US President Joe Biden and the Prime Ministers of Japan and Australia to discuss further consolidation of the multifaceted bilateral relations.

The Prime Minister, who left for Tokyo on Sunday evening for a two-day visit beginning today, will hold separate meetings in the afternoon with the chairman of NEC Corporation Nobuhiro Endo, chairman/president & CEO of UNIQLO Tadashi Yanai, the adviser of the Suzuki Motor Corporation Osamu Suzuki and the board director of Softbank Group Corp, Masayoshi Son.

He will attend the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework event mooted by the United States and later hold a roundtable with Japanese business leaders. Finally, Modi will hold an interaction with the members of the Indian community.

On the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra had earlier on Saturday said, “This is something which is under discussion and I think the discussions and the conversations are still going on,” even as New Delhi is widely expected to join the US-led initiative.

“We do all realise that, insofar as the Indo-Pacific region is concerned, both in terms of harnessing the opportunities of economic partnership that are available in the region, whether they are in various dimensions of economic areas or they are related to capacity building,” the foreign secretary had said.

MODI SAID during his visit he will also hold a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, where they will discuss further consolidation of the multi-faceted bilateral relations.