Quad member states reaffirm commitments towards free India Pacific
Dec 18, 2020
New Delhi [India], December 18 : Senior officials from India, Japan, Australia and the United States on Friday exchanged views on regional and global issues of common interest and reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive India Pacific region.
The officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Department of State of the United States of America interacted through a video conference on Friday, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The grouping of the United States, Japan, Australia and India is also known as Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad.
They also reviewed ongoing and proposed practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development, and security issues, including counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security, humanitarian and disaster relief, with the objective of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a statement by the ministry.
"The officials exchanged views on regional and global issues of common interest. The officials reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region based on shared values and principles and respect for international law especially the UNCLOS," the statement read.
In the context of the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic, the officials underscored the importance of enhancing the resilience of supply chains for an expeditious and sustainable global economic recovery. They also highlighted the need to ensure safe, effective and affordable access to Covid-19 vaccines.
They appreciated the Vietnamese chairmanship of the ASEAN and expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the 15th East Asia Summit held in November this year, the statement read.
The officials reiterated their firm support for ASEAN-Centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms particularly the leaders-led East Asia Summit, in the regional architecture for the Indo-Pacific, and their readiness to work with ASEAN and all other countries towards realizing a common and promising vision for the India-Pacific region, it added.
