Quad is not a military alliance, says Blinken
Declares relations with India are most vital for United States
The four-nation Quad is not a military alliance but an initiative of four like-minded countries, India, the US, Japan and Australia, coming together to work collectively to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region, said visiting US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.
“What the Quad is not is a military alliance. It is not that. Its purpose is to advance cooperation on regional challenges while enforcing international rules and values that we together believe underpin peace, prosperity and stability in the region,” Blinken said.
In a veiled jibe at China for its reservations on the Quad, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said, “India has interests far beyond its immediate borders... For groups of countries to work together is not strange... The BRICS is one such example. People need to get over the idea that somehow other countries doing things is directed against them.”
The bonhomie between the two countries was evident in the statements of both the foreign ministers. While Jaishankar said bilateral ties between India and the United States have entered a “new era”, the US Secretary of State that “there are few relationships in the world that are more vital than the one between the US and India.”
The two foreign ministers discussed the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, including vaccine supplies from the US to India and the Quad vaccine supply initiative. Blinken also announced an additional $25 million of support for vaccination in India.