New Delhi, May 26 : India will host the Quad Foreign Ministersâ?? Meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar set to welcome Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for high-level discussions under the Quad framework.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the meeting is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, maritime security, critical minerals, emerging technologies, supply chain resilience, and regional geopolitical developments, including the situations in West Asia and Ukraine.

The official statement said, â??In keeping with the Quad vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, the Ministers will build on discussions held in Washington, DC on 1 July 2025. They will exchange views on advancing Quad cooperation across priority areas, review progress on ongoing Quad initiatives, and reflect on recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region and other international issues of mutual concern.â??

The meeting is expected to focus on key areas of cooperation, including maritime security, resilient supply chains, infrastructure development, critical and emerging technologies, climate action, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The discussions will also review ongoing Quad initiatives aimed at strengthening regional stability and economic growth.

During their India visit, the Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan, along with the US Secretary of State, were also expected to hold bilateral meetings with EAM Jaishankar.

Earlier on Monday, EAM Jaishankar met Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi ahead of Tuesday's Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, highlighting that the special strategic and global partnership between both countries remains rooted in their joint vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

"Between India and Japan of course, we have a special strategic and global partnership and that signals that our ties have a larger implication, larger importance, larger impact and one example of that will be tomorrow when we meet in the Quad format to discuss how to advance free and open Indo-Pacific," EAM Jaishankar said in his opening remarks during a meeting with the visiting Japanese Foreign Minister.

During his stay in New Delhi, the Japanese Foreign Minister is also scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi with other ministers on Tuesday.

The Quad meeting comes at a time when Indo-Pacific geopolitical dynamics continue to evolve, with member countries seeking to deepen cooperation and coordination on shared regional and global challenges.

Reports suggest the Quad countries may announce new measures to strengthen economic security and technology partnerships during the meeting.

Earlier on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that India and the US are strategically aligned on several key global issues, including critical minerals, supply chains and terrorism. He called India "one of the most important strategic partners" for the US in the world.

While addressing a joint press briefing with EAM Jaishankar, Rubio said that India and the US have suffered due to global terrorism networks. He noted that India and the US as democracies understand the importance of public scrutiny, accountability.

Rubio said, "I have to go back and justify to the American people every decision we make and the president has to do the same on why it's good for our country and our counterparts here in India have to do the exact same thing. You have to respond to the people of India about why your partnership with the United States or your stance on any issue for that matter is to the benefit of your country. I imagine this is true in every country in the world to some degree, but it is particularly true for democracies."

/IANS