Quad: Japan’s PM Yoshihide Suga, PM Narendra Modi, Australia’s Scott Morrison and Joe Biden
New Delhi:
The leaders of the Quad Grouping of four countries met in person for the first time today in Washington DC, where they discussed the major challenges facing the world, from COVID-19 to climate change. Beginning the address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked US President Joe Biden for hosting the Quad meeting, where Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were also present.
“Our four nations met for the first time since the 2004 tsunami to help the Indo-Pacific region. Today, as the world fights against the COVID-19 pandemic, we are here once again as a Quad for the welfare of humanity. have come.” Modi said. “Our Quad Vaccine initiative will be of great help to the Indo-Pacific countries,” he said.
The prime minister said he “believes that our participation in the Quad will establish peace and prosperity in the world.”
The Quaid also emphasized that support for a “free and open” Asia is an important objective.
In his inaugural address, President Biden said that four democracies – the US, India, Australia and Japan – have come together to address common challenges ranging from COVID to climate. “We know how to do things and are up to the challenge,” he said.
The Australian Prime Minister said that the Indo-Pacific region should be free from coercion and disputes should be resolved in accordance with international law. “In the Indo-Pacific there are huge challenges and challenges to be overcome. A lot has been achieved in the six months since the last meeting. We stand together here in the Info Pacific,” he said.
For the US, the quad meeting is another step in reviving US focus on diplomatic efforts, after a dramatic exit from the 20-year Afghanistan war. Washington leads three regional groups in its strategic chess game to manage China’s ascent, the Quad intentionally being the most open. The other two are the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, and the latest arrival on the block – AUKUS.
The Quad nations have maintained that they are not meant to rival or undermine the major regional grouping ASEAN, which includes China, and is not a military alliance.
However, competition with China is strong, at least outside the military sphere, including in attempting to supply vaccines to poorer countries – where the US is by far the world’s top donor – and in stimulating pandemic-battered economies.
With inputs from AFP
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