India is a critical partner, especially when one considers all the challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, the Pentagon said on the eve of the maiden Quad ministerial meeting under the Biden administration.
Quad ministerial is an informal grouping of four countries, namely, Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
India is a critical partner, especially when you consider all of the challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday.
State Department Spokesperson, Ned Price, told reporters at his daily news conference, I am pleased to announce that tomorrow (Thursday) morning, Secretary Blinken and his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India will speak together.
This discussion with the Quad foreign ministers is critical to advancing our shared goals of a free and open Indo-Pacific and rising to the defining challenges of our time, including coordinating our efforts on COVID-19 response as well as climate change, he said.
Recent media reports in Japan have stated that a Quad leadership summit was in the works. So far, there has been no confirmation from the Biden administration.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would be supportive of such a gathering, Kirby said in response to a question.