Quad has come of age and will be an important pillar for stability in the region: Modi

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 12

The four-nation grouping of Quad announced its arrival on the world stage with its first-ever summit meeting that announced three specific areas of cooperation to begin with.

A joint statement, which indicated a complete convergence of views, outlined these areas as vaccine development, climate change and future technology which will be pushed forward by joint working groups.    

The first initiative will be for vaccine development with India set to manufacture one billion doses of American vaccines that will be supplied to Pacific, South East Asian and Indian Ocean Rim countries.

The US and Japan will bankroll the initiative, India will manufacture them and Australia will handle the last mile issues such as cold storages and training of health workers.

“The historic nature is obvious. The four countries have upgraded the Quad conversation to the apex level which highlights their desire to step up international cooperation to address global challenges,” said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla after the summit.

However, both the US and India, while underlining their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, sought to ensure that it will not be openly hostile towards.

On the same day as the Quad summit, India and China held a meeting on the border issue with the MEA stating that the agreement of disengagement in north and south bank of Pangong lake “provided good basis to work for early resolution of remaining issues”.

Also China’s top foreign policy envoys, Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi, will meet US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and NSA in Alaska next week.

The Quad has resolved to keep the momentum going by agreeing to hold an in-person summit later this year.

“India has always said that Quad does not stand against something. It stands for something positive. The meeting has put at rest any speculation that it is directed against others,” maintained Shringla.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Quad has come of age and will remain an important pillar for stability in the region.

“Our agenda today — covering areas like vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies — makes the Quad a force for global good. I see this positive vision as an extension of India’s ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which regards the world as one family,” said the PM at the first-ever summit of the Quad initiated by US President Joe Biden.

With Vice President Kamala Harris by his side, Biden described a free and open Indo Pacific as essential to the futures of each of the countries and assured that the US is committed to working “with you, our partners, and all our allies in the region, to achieve stability”.

South Block and the White House both said the virtual meeting of Quad countries, the first at leader level, shows the importance Biden places on the Indo-Pacific region.