Vikram Misri meets Australian, Japanese Quad Sherpas in New Delhi
Synopsis
India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held back-to-back bilateral meetings with the Australian and Japanese Quad Sherpas in New Delhi on 3 September, just hours before the formal Quad Sherpas session — a sign that the grouping is actively aligning positions on the Indo-Pacific ahead of a potential leader-level summit.
Key Takeaways
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Australian and Japanese Quad Sherpas in New Delhi on 3 September .
He met Eleanor Jane Lawson , Deputy Secretary, DFAT Australia, on bilateral and global issues.
A separate meeting with Hiroyuki Namazu , Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, covered bilateral and regional interests.
Both meetings took place ahead of the formal Quad Sherpas Meeting in New Delhi.
In July , Quad Foreign Ministers in Manila reaffirmed commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and support for ASEAN unity .
Quad priorities include maritime security, critical technologies, and humanitarian assistance under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) .
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday, 3 September held separate bilateral meetings with the Quad Sherpas of Australia and Japan in New Delhi, ahead of the formal Quad Sherpas Meeting, discussing a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest.
Key Meetings Ahead of Quad Sherpas Gathering
Misri first met Eleanor Jane Lawson, Deputy Secretary of the Strategic Planning and Coordination Group at Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the two officials 'discussed matters of bilateral interest and regional and global issues of mutual interest, ahead of the Quad Sherpas Meeting in New Delhi.'
In a separate engagement, Misri sat down with Hiroyuki Namazu, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The MEA noted that the meeting covered 'issues of shared bilateral and regional interest,' again in the lead-up to the Quad Sherpas session.
Quad's Broader Indo-Pacific Agenda
The New Delhi meetings come against the backdrop of intensifying Quad diplomatic activity. In July, the Quad Foreign Ministers — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — met in Manila and issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Manila statement underscored the four nations' 'unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality,' with all four describing themselves as ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partners deeply invested in the region's success.
What the Quad Discussed
The Manila joint statement outlined shared priorities that now form the working agenda for Quad Sherpas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response. The grouping reiterated support for the practical implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
The statement also reaffirmed the Quad's conviction that 'peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region' — a formulation that signals continued alignment on countering destabilising actions in contested waters.
Context and What Comes Next
Sherpa-level meetings typically set the agenda and draft deliverables for leader-level Quad summits. Thursday's bilateral consultations in New Delhi signal that the grouping is actively coordinating positions ahead of any forthcoming summit. The Quad has steadily expanded its practical cooperation footprint since its revival in 2017, with working groups now spanning vaccines, infrastructure, and semiconductor supply chains. How Thursday's Sherpas meeting translates into concrete outcomes will be closely watched by regional partners and observers.
Point of View
On-the-ground deliverables — something its critics say has lagged the grouping's rhetorical ambition. With the Manila Foreign Ministers statement already on record, Thursday's New Delhi session is a test of whether the Quad can operationalise its AOIP commitments before geopolitical windows narrow.
NationPress
4 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri meet at the Quad Sherpas Meeting in New Delhi?
Vikram Misri met Eleanor Jane Lawson, Deputy Secretary of Australia's DFAT, and Hiroyuki Namazu, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, on 3 September in New Delhi, ahead of the formal Quad Sherpas session. Both meetings covered bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest.
What is a Quad Sherpa and why does the meeting matter?
Quad Sherpas are senior officials who prepare the agenda and draft deliverables for leader-level Quad summits. Their meetings are where policy positions are aligned and practical cooperation frameworks are finalised before heads of government convene.
What did the Quad Foreign Ministers agree on in Manila in July?
At their Manila meeting in July, the Quad Foreign Ministers — from India, Australia, Japan, and the United States — issued a joint statement reaffirming commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality. They also backed practical implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific across maritime security, technology, and humanitarian response.
What are the Quad's current priority areas?
According to the Manila joint statement, the Quad's shared priorities include maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response — all framed around supporting the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
How has the Quad evolved in recent years?
Revived in 2017, the Quad has expanded from a broad strategic dialogue into a grouping with active working groups on vaccines, infrastructure financing, and semiconductor supply chains. The New Delhi Sherpas meeting reflects its growing institutional depth ahead of potential leader-level engagement.
