India's Jaishankar to join Quad Foreign Ministers' meet in Manila alongside ASEAN gatherings
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Manila, Philippines, from July 22 to 23 to participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held alongside several ASEAN-related dialogues. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the visit will also include engagements under the ASEAN-India framework, the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
The MEA stated that the visit 'underscores India’s deepening engagement with ASEAN under the Act East Policy and reaffirms our strong commitment to further strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.' It also noted that 2026 has been designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, highlighting the maritime dimension of the relationship.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings, Minister Jaishankar will join his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the United States for a Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting. The Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a diplomatic partnership among these four countries focused on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. The MEA added that Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with other participating foreign ministers.
The ASEAN Ministerial Meetings, which bring together foreign ministers from the 10 ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners, provide a platform for discussing regional security, economic cooperation, and other shared challenges. The inclusion of the Quad meeting within this context underscores the growing convergence of interests among like-minded nations in the Indo-Pacific region.
India has consistently emphasized its Act East Policy, which aims to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian nations and extend engagement to the broader Indo-Pacific. The Quad meetings have become a regular feature on the margins of major multilateral gatherings, reflecting the group's focus on issues such as maritime security, infrastructure connectivity, and pandemic response.
The visit comes at a time of heightened geopolitical dynamics, with major powers vying for influence in the region. India's participation reaffirms its commitment to a rules-based order and its role as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific.
