During the summit, the Quad leaders reiterated their shared commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and the importance of upholding the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes…reports Asian Lite News
Quad leaders have reiterated their desire to combat terrorism and have denounced the use of terrorist proxies.
During the 2nd in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday, they also emphasized the importance of denying any logistical, financial, or military support to terrorist groups which could be used to launch or plan terror attacks, including cross-border attacks. They reiterated their condemnation of terrorist attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks, said the Joint Statement issued after the meeting.
During the summit, the Quad leaders reiterated their shared commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and the importance of upholding the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Summit, along with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, President Joseph Biden of the United States of America and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia.
This was the fourth interaction of the Leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021, the in-person Summit in Washington D.C in September 2021 and their virtual interaction in March 2022.
According to the MEA, the Quad leaders exchanged perspectives on developments in the Indo-Pacific and the conflict in Europe. Prime Minister Modi highlighted India’s consistent and principled position on the need for cessation of hostilities, resumption of dialogue and diplomacy.
The Leaders also took stock of ongoing Quad collaboration and their vision for the future.
Steps to combat Covid-19 pandemic
Reviewing Quad’s ongoing efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the leaders welcomed the enhanced manufacturing capacity of Biological-E facility in India and called for the expeditious grant of EUL approval by the WHO so that delivery of vaccines can commence.
The leaders welcomed the gift of 525,000 doses of Made in India vaccines by India to Thailand and Cambodia in April 2022 under the Quad Vaccine Partnership.
According to the MEA, Quad leaders will continue to pursue a holistic approach to pandemic management by addressing last mile delivery and distribution challenges, augmenting regional health security through cooperation in genomic surveillance and clinical trials, and bolstering global health security architecture.
“Prime Minister Modi called for expedited WTO waiver under TRIPS for manufacture of COVID vaccines, medicines and therapeutics and the need for to enhance pediatric vaccine supplies,” the MEA added.
A Quad Climate Change Action and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP) was announced to strengthen efforts towards green shipping, clean energy including green hydrogen and climate and disaster resilient infrastructure. Prime Minister Modi reiterated the importance of assisting countries in the region with their COP26 commitments through mobilization of climate finance and technology transfer, the MEA pointed out.
As part of ongoing work related to critical and emerging technologies, Quad’s Common Statement of Principles on Critical Technology Supply Chains was launched.
Capacity building programmes
During the meet, the four countries also decided to coordinate capacity building programmes for the Indo-Pacific region to bolster critical cyber security infrastructure of the region.
“Prime Minister Modi called for greater Quad collaboration to build trusted global supply chains and spoke of the national framework being adopted in India to create a semiconductor ecosystem in India,” the MEA noted.
A Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) for the Indo-Pacific was announced by the Leaders to enable more effective and timely responses to disasters in the region.
The Leaders agreed to provide countries in the region resources on earth observation data through a Quad satellite data portal to help track climate events, disaster preparedness and sustainable use of marine resources. India will play a proactive role in this effort given its longstanding capabilities in using space based data and technologiesfor inclusive development.
Quad leaders welcomed a new Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative, to help countries bolster their capacities to respond to HADR incidents and combat illegal fishing.
According to the MEA, the leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality and look forward to strengthening cooperation with partners in the region.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized the importance of delivering on Quad’s positive and constructive agenda and show tangible benefits for the region. The Leaders agreed to continue their dialogue and consultations and look forward to the next Summit hosted by Australia in 2023.
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