Quad grouping is here to stay and grow, says Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister says the grouping expresses the democratising of the global space and a collaborative, not unilateral, approach that requires likeminded countries working together
tating that the Quad grouping is here to stay, grow and contribute, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Saturday that it stands as a statement that in this day and age, “others cannot have a veto on our choices.” He said the grouping — comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. — is facilitated by the emergence of the IndoPacific region, and is propelled by a change in the global order that requires more, not less, collaboration among likeminded countries.
“The post1945 division of what till then was perceived to be a cohesive theatre resulted in a contemplating of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific as two separate entities. This separation was an outcome of American strategic priorities in 1945. Ironi
Scally, it is America’s repositioning today that is helping to rectify it,” Mr. Jaishankar said, addressing the inaugural Quad Think Tank Forum which coincided with the Raisina Dialogue which concluded on February 23.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell addressed the forum virtually.
Mr. Jaishankar focussed on what the grouping stands for. “I believe it has five messages. One, it reflects the growth of a multipolar order. Two, it is postalliance and postCold War thinking. Three, it is against spheres of influence. Four, it expresses the democratising of the global space and a collaborative, not unilateral, approach. Five, it is a statement that in this day and age, others cannot have a veto on our choices.”
The 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh has also significantly changed India’s relations with Beijing and forged a closer alignment with Washington. It was after the standoff that India agreed to Australia’s inclusion in the Malabar naval exercise as a full member, bringing all four countries together.
“The Quad is an overheadlight, creative, flexible, nimble, responsive, and openminded enterprise. These are not adjectives we normally associate with the bureaucracy,” he added.
On the achievements of the Quad, the Minister said that the focus was on addressing the region’s most pressing needs and challenges, which are maritime security, infrastructure and connectivity, critical technologies, and climate action among others.