Quad leaders pledge to uphold peace and stability in Indo-Pacific region
India, United States, Australia, and Japan, a group known as Quad, on Saturday pledged to uphold peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and “oppose unilateral actions seeking change in status quo by force.”
The Quad leaders, in a joint statement, condemned terrorism and violent extremism in “all its forms and manifestations including cross-border terrorism.” The statement mentioned the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai and on Indian Air Force’s airbase in Pathankot.
“We will strengthen our cooperation through the new Working Group on Counterterrorism announced during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in March 2023,” the statement added.
They also expressed a “serious concern at the militarisation of disputed features, efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.”
Quad leaders, consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Japanese and Australian counterparts Fumio Kishida and Anthony Albanese, respectively, and US President Joe Biden convened for their third in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Albanese had been meant to host Biden, Kishida and Modi in Sydney next week. However, Biden pulled out, saying he had to return to Washington from Japan on Sunday to negotiate with Republican opponents on the US debt ceiling.
The Quad leaders reiterated their unwavering commitment to upholding international law and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In this context, they expressed deep concern over the ongoing war in Ukraine and mourned its “terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences.”
“We recognise its serious impacts on the global economic system including on food, fuel and energy security and critical supply chains. We will continue to render humanitarian assistance to Ukraine for its recovery,” they added.
The leaders also reiterated their commitment to addressing the climate crisis and supporting climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience efforts in the Indo-Pacific region. They emphasized the need for rapid and far-reaching transitions to a net-zero world and committed to strengthening cooperation in ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and secure clean energy in the Indo-Pacific.