Rubio's First International Engagement: Meeting with EAM Jaishankar and Quad Foreign Ministers

Synopsis

Marco Rubio's first international engagement as Secretary of State will involve meeting with Quad foreign ministers, including India's EAM Jaishankar. This follows his confirmation by the Senate and marks a significant step in establishing diplomatic priorities under the second Trump administration.

Key Takeaways

Marco Rubio confirmed as Secretary of State.
First foreign engagement with Quad foreign ministers.
Initial meeting with EAM S Jaishankar.
Quad was revitalized during Trump's first term.
Upcoming summit in India later this year.

Washington, Jan 21 (NationPress) In a potential indication of the second Trump administration's focus, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on his initial foreign engagement with a gathering of the Quad foreign ministers later on Tuesday. This will be succeeded by individual meetings with each minister, commencing with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.

Rubio has made history by being the first of President Donald Trump's cabinet selections to receive confirmation from the US Senate. He was unanimously approved, with all Democrats aligning with the Republicans who dominate the chamber. The swearing-in ceremony took place Tuesday morning, officiated by Vice-President J D Vance.

The former senator from Florida is scheduled to address the staff of the US State Department, as outlined in a previously released itinerary. His inaugural international engagement will include a meeting with the Indo-Pacific Quad Foreign Ministers at the State Department, comprising India's Jaishankar, Australia's Penny Wong, and Japan's Iwaya Takeshi. Following this, Rubio will hold separate one-on-one discussions with the foreign ministers, beginning with Jaishankar, as per the schedule.

The Quad was revitalized during President Donald Trump's first term, initially established post the 2004 Tsunami but had become dormant by 2008. The group's resurgence commenced with a meeting on the sidelines of the 2017 ASEAN gathering in Manila. From that initial meeting, the group swiftly advanced to foreign ministerial discussions, first convening during the UN General Assembly meetings in New York in 2019, with a second meeting occurring in October 2020.

President Joe Biden subsequently elevated the group to leader-level status, holding a virtual summit in March 2021, merely two months following his inauguration. The first in-person summit was conducted in September of the same year, with leaders convening annually since. The most recent Quad summit was facilitated by President Biden at his residence and educational institution in Wilmington, Delaware.

The forthcoming summit is slated to take place in India later this year.