This combo photo shows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. (PHOTOS / AP)

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to Japan and South Korea next week, the US State Department confirmed on Wednesday.

The State Department said in a statement that Blinken and Austin will attend the "2+2" meeting in Tokyo and Seoul with counterparts of the two allies from March 16 to 18. The trip will be the first in-person overseas visit by cabinet officials of the Joe Biden administration.

The Pentagon said Austin will travel to India after his trip to Japan and South Korea.

The trip will be the first in-person overseas visit by cabinet officials of the Joe Biden administration

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Austin will be on a three-day visit to India from March 19-21, announced the Indian defense ministry on Wednesday.

During his visit, Austin is expected to meet his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, besides other senior dignitaries of the federal government.

Austin himself tweeted "I'll travel to India to meet with my counterpart, Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, and other senior national security leaders to discuss deepening the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership and advancing cooperation between our countries."

Both sides are expected to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral defense cooperation and exchange views on regional security challenges and common interests.

Discussions regarding defense cooperation would also focus on how both countries could consolidate military-to-military cooperation and defense trade and industry cooperation.

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US President Biden on Friday will meet virtually with leaders of Japan, India, and Australia. It will be the first time that "the Quad" will meet at the leader level.