Secretary Blinken’s Call with Quad Ministers
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OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. The Ministers discussed Quadrilateral (“Quad”) cooperation on COVID-19 response and recovery and climate change and committed to working together to address these global challenges. The Ministers also discussed countering disinformation, counterterrorism, maritime security, the urgent need to restore the democratically elected government in Burma, and the priority of strengthening democratic resilience in the broader region. The participants reaffirmed their mutual support for ASEAN centrality. They reiterated their commitment to the Quad meeting at least annually at the Ministerial level and on a regular basis at senior and working levels to strengthen cooperation on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including support for freedom of navigation and territorial integrity.