Quad will work to advance shared values, says Modi
NEW DELHI: The Quad — involving the US, India, Australia and Japan — is an extension of India’s tradition of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which regards world as one family, and its members will work together closely as ever before for advancing shared values and promoting a secular, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.
Addressing the maiden summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, convened by US President Joe Biden less than two months after he assumed office, Modi said, “The Quad now remain an important pillar in the stability of the region. Our agenda today covering areas like vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies make the Quad a force for global good.”
“I thank President Biden for this initiative. We are united by democratic values and our commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” Modi said at the virtual summit, which was also attended by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
In his opening remarks, Biden also described Quad as a new mechanism to enhance cooperation and raise mutual ambition as they address accelerating climate change. “We know our commitments ... Our region is governed by international law, committed to all the universal values and free from coercion but I am optimistic about our prospect,” he said, in an apparent reference to China which is flexing its muscles in the region.
“The Quad is going to be a vital arena of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and I look forward to working closely with all of you in the coming years,” Biden told the Quad summit.
Australian PM Morrison said, “It’s the Indo-Pacific that’ll now shape the destiny of the world in the 21st Century. As four leaders of great democracies in Indo-Pacific, let our partnership be an enabler of peace, stability and prosperity and to do so inclusively with many nations in the region.”
Among the key initiatives
expected to be on the agenda is a “Vaccine Initiative” and a procurement and supply chain for rare earth metals.
India perceives the summit as key to building on crucial partnerships to address challenges in the Indo-Pacific and securing the maritime domain, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity. The summit is also an opportunity for evolution as the Quad didn’t traditionally have defined areas of cooperation and only discussed principles and shared strategic approaches.
The Vaccine Initiative is being seen as the most significant deliverable from the summit as greater access to doses, especially for small and developing nations across the IndoPacific, will foster a quick global economic recovery. India’s role in the Vaccine Initiative will reinforce its credentials as a trusted and reliable manufacturer and supplier of medicines and expand the “Vaccine Maitri” initiative that has supplied 58.3 million doses to 69 countries so far.
As the Indo-Pacific became a key strategic region, the Quad was revived, largely because of Japan’s efforts, in 2017 as a dialogue at the level of senior officials. India was represented by a joint secretary from the foreign ministry.
THE SUMMIT IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVOLUTION AS THE QUAD DIDN’T TRADITIONALLY HAVE DEFINED AREAS OF COOPERATION AND ONLY DISCUSSED PRINCIPLES AND SHARED STRATEGIC APPROACHES.