Dr. S. Jaishankar attends the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting in Japan. He asserted that only Quad can ensure freedom, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific region amid China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region including the South China Sea.
Dr. S. Jaishankar's crucial statements
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in his opening remarks that our meeting should send a clear message that Quad is here to stay, here to do, and here to grow. He highlighted the importance of political understanding, expanding economic partnerships, increasing technology collaborations and deepening people-to-people connections among the Quad nations.
He also talked about the need to work towards ensuring global economic growth while also de-risking it. He focused on supply chain resilience and pushed for collective endeavors to avoid disruption of the international system, man-made or natural. He reaffirmed that Quad is not a talk shop rather a platform to produce practical outcomes.
Jaishankar remarked that no era should be an era of war, which came while he was unveiling a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Edogawa, Tokyo. He called Gandhiji a global icon whose achievements have outlived his own times. He reiterated Gandhiji’s message that solutions do not come from a battlefield. His timeless message of peace and non-violence is even more relevant today when the world is seeing so much war and bloodshed.
Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, he underlined that the solution will not emerge from the battlefield instead through dialogue and diplomacy. The Quad Foreign Ministers also called for an immediate end of violence in Ukraine, Gaza and Myanmar.
Quad Foreign Ministers Joint Statement
Quad Foreign Ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to preserve and strengthen international order for the global good which resonate far beyond the region. They discussed shared challenges and vision for stability and prosperity with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
Ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient and united to uphold free and open rules-based international order. They have stressed upon the need to uphold principles such as freedom, democratic values, rule of law, human rights, sovereignty and integrity of nations, and peaceful settlement of disputes.
Each and every country has a role to play in contributing to regional peace, stability, and prosperity while seeking to build a region in which no country dominates and no country is dominated, sending clear indications to China. They reaffirm the right of each country to determine their future.
Quad members are working to take practical cooperation on challenges such as climate change, counter terrorism, maritime and cyber security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, infrastructure and connectivity etc.
They intend to expand the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), a comprehensive system for monitoring and securing maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific.
Quad’ purpose
The Quad, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was established in November 2017 consisting of India, Japan, the US and Australia. These four countries share a common interest of maintaining a free, open and rule based Indo-Pacific.
The Quad is a loose grouping rather than a formal alliance and seen as countering China’s growing aggressive posture, although its members have stressed that it is not a military alliance. China has denounced the grouping as an “Indo-Pacific NATO” which has been inciting geopolitical rivalry.
China responded to the Quad Foreign Minister’ joint statement by accusing the members of creating artificial tension, inciting confrontation and containing the development of other countries.
The next Quad Leaders’ Meeting will be held later this year in India and the US will be hosting the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in 2025.
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