PM Modi says discussions with QUAD leaders were 'extensive and productive'

After attending the QUAD Leaders’ Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he had an “extensive and productive” discussion with US President Joe Biden, Australian PM Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga. PM Modi, who is on a four-day visit to the United States, attended the QUAD Summit at the White House on Friday, 24 September. It was the first face-to-face Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which was hosted by President Joe Biden and had Morrison and Suga in attendance. 

After the QUAD meeting, leaders of India, the US, Australia and Japan released a joint statement and recommitted their partnership for the security and prosperity of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders said that the cooperation between the four remained unflushed since their last meeting 6 months ago, which had been held virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They added that together, they “recommit to promoting the free, open, rules-based order, rooted in international law and undaunted by coercion, to bolster security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond”.

The QUAD leaders even shared perspectives on the Afghanistan situation and reaffirmed their commitment to work together to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at a press briefing after the QUAD Summit, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that the four leaders discussed a common approach to emerging technologies, cybersecurity and addressing the challenge of climate change. “The meeting enables leaders to share views on contemporary issues in the region,” Shringla added. 

QUAD Summit 2021

The QUAD Summit was initiated in 2007 by former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, with the goal of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.  In his opening remarks, PM Modi said that the QUAD will work in the role of “force for global good”. He also asserted that the cooperation among the four countries in the group will ensure peace and prosperity. 

While opening the Summit, US President Biden said, “This group has democratic partners who share world views and have a common vision for the future”. Australian PM Morrison, on the other hand, asserted that the Indo-Pacific should be free from coercion in accordance with international law and sovereign rights must be respected. Japan’s Suga separately expressed the importance of the maiden in-person QUAD meeting and said that the Summit reflects strong ties among four nations, emphasising that the Indo-Pacific should be open and free. 

(Image: Twitter)