United States Foreign Affairs Committee backs AUKUS ahead of QUAD meet

In response to the introduction of the new Indo-Pacific defence collaboration AUKUS, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which is fully accountable for foreign policy regulations and supervision, said on Thursday that America is strongest and most efficient when it works together with its friends. According to the House Committee, the United States President Joe Biden will host the first physically present Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) leaders' conference after the COVID outbreak, which will comprise Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. 

On September 24, 2021, the Quadrilateral Framework Leaders' Conference will be taking place in Washington, DC. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States established an increased trilateral security alliance named "AUKUS" on Wednesday in the Indo-Pacific area to strengthen political, security, and defence relations. The US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled the new trilateral security alliance in a virtually conducted conference. 

Statement from the AUKUS leaders

As per ANI, a joint statement from the leaders on AUKUS reads, “As leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, guided by our enduring ideals and shared commitment to the international rules-based order, we resolve to deepen diplomatic, security, and defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including by working with partners, to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.”  It further states that to support this initiative, the nations announced the formation of improved trilateral security cooperation known as "AUKUS" — Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  

The statement even added that the administrations will increase their capacity to assist each other's defence and security objectives through AUKUS, constructing on the long-standing bilateral relationship. The nations will encourage a broader exchange of information and technologies. They will also promote greater integration of research, technology, industrial sectors, and supply chains connected to security and the military. Thus, particularly, they will expand the collaboration on a variety of security and defence capacities. The statement also reads that the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy is the very first effort beneath the AUKUS Australia. 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the first major project of AUKUS will become an 18-month attempt to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. These submarines will be built in Australia in close collaboration with the United Kingdom and the United States. The three countries would collaborate on the production of Australia's nuclear-powered submarines, with an emphasis on interoperability, similarity, and mutual benefit. 

(Image: ANI/ AP)