Jaishankar heads to Atlanta for G20 and Quad talks before CHOGM in Antigua

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Atlanta for the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Oct 30‑31. He will also join the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in the same city, meeting counterparts from Australia and Japan after a missed session in Australia due to scheduling conflicts. The Quad ministers last met in Delhi in May. From Atlanta, Jaishankar will fly to Antigua & Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled for Nov 1‑4. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the trips will allow several bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the multilateral gatherings. The visit is seen as groundwork for a possible Prime Minister Narendra Modi trip to the US for the G20 leaders’ summit in mid‑December. Jaishankar will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, continuing talks on energy security and defence cooperation that began in Mumbai last week. Their discussions also touched on finalising a stalled trade deal, which has been delayed by US tariffs and India’s purchase of Russian oil. The United States aims to sell energy and defence equipment to meet its $500 billion trade target by 2030. At the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, participants are expected to discuss regional and global issues, including the war between the US and Iran that is driving an energy crisis affecting India.

Context

The G20 and Quad gatherings are key platforms for India to deepen strategic ties with major powers, while CHOGM offers a chance to engage Commonwealth partners. These meetings help shape trade and security agendas that impact India’s economy and energy needs.