Washington, DC [US], July 1 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting (QFMM) in Washington, DC, reaffirming India-Japan ties and strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific region.

Taking to social media platform X, Jaishankar wrote, 'Pleased to meet FM Takeshi Iwaya of Japan in New York this morning. Had comprehensive discussions on infrastructure, investment and mobility. Exchanged views on deepening our Quad engagement for a free and open Indo-Pacific.'

He added that the 'Special, Strategic and Global Partnership continues to deepen and diversify,' reflecting the growing momentum in India-Japan ties across multiple sectors.

Jaishankar is on an official visit to the United States at the invitation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to participate in the QFMM.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the meeting will build on discussions from the last QFMM held in January and focus on regional and global developments, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

'The Ministers will also review the progress made on Quad initiatives and deliberate on new proposals to advance the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific,' the MEA stated.

The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. The Quad's origins date back to the collaboration in response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Prior to his arrival in Washington, Jaishankar inaugurated an exhibition at the United Nations in New York titled 'The Human Cost of Terrorism', underscoring India's strong stance against terrorism. 'Terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere,' he said at the UN Headquarters, calling for zero tolerance and global cooperation to combat the menace.

During his US visit, Jaishankar also spoke to Newsweek, where he hailed the enduring strength of India-US ties over the past 25 years. He emphasized that under the last five US Presidents--Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden--the bilateral relationship has consistently grown stronger.

Jaishankar expressed optimism over ongoing trade negotiations between India and the US. 'We are in the middle, hopefully more than the middle, of a very intricate trade negotiation. My hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion,' he said, while acknowledging that final agreement depends on both sides.

Highlighting structural drivers like economics, technology, education, security, and energy, he said these factors continue to strengthen the India-US relationship. He also noted that differences may arise, but the ability to address them constructively has helped maintain a positive trajectory.

Jaishankar's visit comes at a critical time as India prepares to host the upcoming Quad Leaders' Summit. His engagements in the US aim to deepen India's strategic partnerships and advance shared goals in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. (ANI)