Jaishankar: Foreign Minister unveils statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Japan, meets Antony Blinken

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has arrived in Japan on a two-day visit. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Japan. Jaishankar was welcomed by India's Ambassador to Japan Sibi George when he arrived in Japan on Sunday. The Indian Embassy in Japan shared a post on social media, showing Indian Ambassador Sibi George with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

On the first day of his two-day visit, the Foreign Minister unveiled the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Edogawa, Japan. During this, he said that 'at a time when conflicts are increasing all over the world, there is a lot of tension and polarization, and bloodshed is taking place. In such a situation, it is very important that we should remember the message of Mahatma Gandhi that peace cannot come from the battlefield and this is not the era of war. This message is as effective today as it was 80 years ago.'

The External Affairs Minister met US Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on his Japan visit. After the meeting, the Foreign Minister wrote in a post shared on social media that 'Our bilateral agenda is constantly moving forward. In our meeting, there was a detailed discussion on regional and international issues. I am looking forward to joining the Quad meeting tomorrow.' In November 2017, India, Japan, the US, and Australia established the Quad to keep important sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free from any influence. The South China Sea is located at the junction between the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. China claims most of the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have made counterclaims to the maritime area.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on a visit to Japan from July 28-30. During this, he will participate in the Quad meeting with the foreign ministers of Australia, Japan, and America. A meeting of Quad leaders is to be held in India later this year. In such a situation, the outline of the meeting of Quad leaders can be prepared in the Foreign Minister level meeting. The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Quad was to be held in January this year, but due to some reasons, this meeting was postponed.

In the Foreign Minister level meeting, the initiatives taken by the Quad group and the work of the working group will be reviewed. Earlier, the four foreign ministers of the Quad met in the United Nations General Assembly in September last. On July 12, India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval discussed various issues with US NSA Jack Sullivan.

Despite the Russia-Ukraine war, India was maintaining a balance in its relations with Russia and Western countries, but PM Modi's visit to Russia in the past has angered the Western countries. America and Ukraine raised questions on the timing of PM Modi's visit to Russia. In such a situation, India may now have to face many challenges in balancing both sides again.