Quad summit: COVID-19, economic crisis, climate change to be discussed, says White House

The first Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) leaders summit including India, Australia, Japan and the United States will be discussing a range of international issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, prevailing economic crisis and climate change, the White House said on Tuesday. The White House press secretary Jen Psaki told the reporters at her daily news conference that US President Joe Biden’s choice of making Quad one of his earliest multilateral engagement “speaks to the importance we [US] place on close cooperation with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.”

White House press secretary said, “A range of issues, course, we expect to be discussed, I should say, facing the global community from the threat of COVID to economic cooperation and, of course, to the climate crisis.”

Psaki’s remarks came just hours after India made a similar announcement in this regard. The White House press secretary also said that on Friday, March 12 all leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Biden, will be meeting virtually. 

The Ministry of External Affairs Tuesday not only confirmed the participation of PM Modi but also said in a statement that all four leaders would be discussing regional and global issues of shared interest, MEA said on March 9 that the leaders will “exchange views on practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. The Summit will provide an opportunity to exchange views on contemporary challenges such as resilient supply chains, emerging and critical technologies, maritime security, and climate change.”

Quad met regularly on FM level

The White House press secretary also noted that the Quad meeting has been taking place regularly at the working foreign minister-level after it was formed in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami and formalised in 2007. Brainchild of then Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) was launched with an aim to convene partners to balance rising China. 

As per reports, while India and Australia had initially been cautious over antagonizing China, the Quad format, over the years has not only expanded but the relations with Beijing of both nations have deteriorated over a range of issues. While the foreign ministers of all four countries met for the third time in February this year, Psaki noted that “Friday will be the first time that the Quad is meeting at the leader level.”