Quad Leaders Discuss Afghan Situation, Challenges In Indo-Pacific

At the maiden in-person summit, the Quad leaders shared perspectives on the situation in Afghanistan, the challenges in Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their commitment to work together to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Friday. Speaking at a special briefing after the Quad leaders’ meeting, Shringla said that the leaders also discussed a common approach to emerging technologies, cybersecurity and addressing the challenge of climate change.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday held the Quad leaders’ meeting. It was hosted by the US leader. “It was the first in-person Quad summit that took place. The meeting enables leaders to share views on contemporary issues in the region,” he said.

“They shared perspectives on the situation in Afghanistan, the emerging challenges in South Asia and Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their commitment to work together to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and work towards preventing the other pandemics that would come in the future. Evolving a common approach to emerging technologies, cybersecurity and addressing the challenge of climate change was something that the leaders discussed,” he added. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as the Quad, was first initiated in 2007 by then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the goal of peace and security in the region.

In his opening remarks at the Quad leaders meeting, Prime Minister Modi said that Quad will work in the role of “force for global good” and asserted that the cooperation among four countries including India, the United States, Australia and Japan in the group will ensure peace and prosperity in Indo-pacific. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison asserted said that the Indo-Pacific should be free from coercion in accordance with international law and sovereign rights must be respected.

Yoshihide Suga during his opening remarks at the Quad summit expressed the importance of the first in-person Quad meeting and said that the meeting reflects strong ties among four nations, emphasising that Indo-Pacific should be open and free.