Australian envoy says Quad keeps Indo-Pacific region "stable", backs India as next summit host

New Delhi [India], November 21 (ANI): Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green on Friday said the Quad remains a "powerful vector for ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific" and stressed that Canberra sees India as a trusted and indispensable partner in a rapidly changing world.

Speaking to ANI, Green said today's geopolitical environment demands "stable and reliable partners," adding that India and Australia have maintained strategic trust despite global turbulence.

"We live in a world which is more competitive and disrupted, and it is a time that we need stable and reliable partners," he said. "Despite all the global disruption, between India and Australia, things are very stable. There is a high level of strategic trust, and we want to be a reliable partner for India and all the other peace-loving countries in the region."

Calling the Quad a "powerful vector" for stability, prosperity and peace in the region, Green noted that the grouping has already convened two major foreign ministers' meetings this year, including the one held in July in Washington. He said Australia now looks forward to India hosting the next Quad Summit. "It is up to Prime Minister Modi to identify the dates for that, and I know that Prime Minister Albanese will be keen to come whenever that can be scheduled," he added.

In August, Trump had said that he no longer planned to visit India for the Quad Summit, according to a report by The New York Times.

The High Commissioner's remarks come a day after Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasised that India and Australia must make full use of their bilateral platforms and the Quad to strengthen regional cooperation. Wong, who co-chaired the 16th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, said the partnership between the two countries has "never been more consequential."

"You are a leading power, and we are comprehensive strategic partners who share a vision of a peaceful, stable, prosperous Indo-Pacific," Wong said, adding that the next phase of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will focus on benefiting both nations and the wider region.

Wong arrived in Delhi on Wednesday for the dialogue, which marked the 26th meeting between the two ministers.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that the Quad is a "valuable platform" for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal cited recent engagements such as the Quad Ports of the Future Conference held in Mumbai on October 29-30, which saw participation from 24 countries.

"We see Quad as a valuable platform for discussion among the four Quad partners on issues of importance and of interest to them in the Indo-Pacific region. Quad is making steady progress. We recently attended the India Maritime Week in Mumbai. We had the Quad Ports of the Future Conference in Mumbai on 29th and 30th October. We had almost 24 countries participate in it, which included the four quad partners," he added.

The Quad, comprising India, Australia, the US and Japan, is expected to hold its next leaders' summit in India. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)