By David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis and Alasdair Pal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States, Australia, India and Japan recommitted to working together on Tuesday, after the first meeting of the China-focused "Quad" grouping's top diplomats since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his counterparts from the other three QUAD nations reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific where "sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended.

The four nations in a joint statement after the talks in Washington emphasised that the officials will prepare for an upcoming leaders' summit, set to be held in India this year.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong met her Indian and Japanese counterparts in Washington and said the invitation for Quad foreign ministers to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration showed an "iron-clad commitment" to close cooperation in the Indo Pacific region.

In today's episode of India Global, On his first full day in office, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the first Quad meeting with Australia, India, and Japan. This was the first major diplomatic session of the Quad since Donald Trump's return to the White House.

The U.S. secretary of state and the foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan are expected to meet in Washington on Tuesday, the day after President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, people familiar with the matter said.

The ministerial meeting will underscore that the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is attaching importance to collaboration among the four nations.

On his first full day as secretary of state, Marco Rubio is meeting with his counterparts from a group of countries known as the Quad: the United States plus India, Japan and Australia, representing n

First diplomatic engagement of Trump team focuses on eco, security, tech coop in Indo-Pacific; Jaishankar says will think bigger and deepen agenda

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan as the Trump administration kicks off its formal foreign policy engagements in discussions with the Indo-Pacific “Quad.