Jaishankar, Payne discuss India, Australia expanding cooperation in global affairs, regional issues

Japan [Tokyo], October 07 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Australian counterpart, Marise Payne, on the sidelines of the Quad foreign ministerial meet and discussed expanding cooperation between New Delhi and Canberra in global affairs and regional issues.
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Jaishankar said he and Payne reviewed the progress in bilateral ties between the two countries after the June virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
In June, PM Modi and Morrison participated in a virtual bilateral summit and signed multiple agreements to further reaffirm their commitment to an enduring interest in a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, mutual logistics support (MLSA).
Jaishankar and Payne visited Tokyo to participate in the India, Australia, Japan, and US foreign ministers' meeting. The grouping of four countries is known as the Quad.
"Warm meeting with my good friend FM @MarisePayne of Australia. Reviewed the progress in our bilateral ties after the Virtual Summit between our PMs. Discussed expanding our cooperation in global affairs & regional issues. Will work together more closely in multilateral forums," Jaishankar tweeted.
The Quad foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo took place on Tuesday during which the foreign ministers of Quad member countries called for a coordinated response to the challenges including financial problems emanating from the pandemic; need to share best practices to combat Covid-19; increasing the resilience of supply chains; and enhancing access to affordable vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.