Quad moving to action-oriented cooperation: Foreign Secretary

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 25

The second Quad in-person summit held in Tokyo on Tuesday was marked by action oriented cooperation among Quad partners as also between its partners for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, aimed at peace, stability and prosperity in the region, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra while summing up Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day Japan visit.

The Foreign Secretary identified several areas where forward movement will take place during the second year of Quad’s existence, as stated by US President Joe Biden. The Quad will focus on common efforts to respond to the Covid pandemic, in particular post-pandemic recovery, and strengthening health security.

Shedding more light on the Quad’s flagship venture – the Indo Pacific Economic Framework – he said the concept is structured around four pillars: trade, supply chains, infrastructure, clean energy and decarbonisation and, tax and anti-corruption. Collective discussions will be initiated and final contours of this would emerge based on discussions among the Quad countries.

The intention is to promote infrastructure delivery, bridge infrastructural gaps in the Indo-Pacific region and do it in a manner that does not burden countries with unsustainable debt, and infrastructure projects.

Kwatra also mentioned a new Indo-Pacific partnership in maritime domain awareness to help countries bolster their capabilities to respond to natural disasters as also to combat illegal fishing. The Quad will also shape and build partnerships for greater cybersecurity and for transparent, trusted and reliable supply chains across the region, especially in critical and emerging technologies.

The PM put forward specific proposals. They include solid initiatives in climate finance and sustainable developments; building appropriate platforms for the industry and businesses between Quad countries and the Indo-Pacific countries and mechanisms to strengthen partnership among “likeminded countries’’ in areas of common interest.

The Quad leaders also issued strong condemnation of all forms of terrorism, and a call to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks.

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