NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that Quad is pursuing a “constructive agenda for the Indo-Pacific region. With this, the image of Quad as a ‘Force for Good’ will be strengthened even more”.
PM Modi’s comments came during his opening remarks at the second in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo which was attended by his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, US President Joe Biden and newly elected Australian PM Anthony Albanese.
“In such a short span of time, the Quad group has made a significant place on the world stage. Today the scope of the Quad has become wider and the form has become effective. Our mutual trust, our determination, is giving new energy and enthusiasm to the democratic forces,” PM Modi said.
“The future of the 21st-century economy is going to be largely written in the Indo-Pacific. That’s why we launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity to help all of our countries’ economies grow faster and fairer,” President Biden remarked after launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity.
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the QUAD, is an informal strategic forum of four peninsular countries: Australia, India, Japan and the United States of America. The Quad came into existence in 2007 on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.
Congratulating PM Albanese, who flew to Tokyo hours after taking charge, PM Modi said, “You being among us 24 hours after taking the oath, shows the power of Quad friendship and your commitment to it. Our mutual cooperation at the level of Quad is promoting a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, which is a common objective of all of us.”
During the summit, PM Modi recalled the mutual efforts and commitment of the Quad countries in the time of crisis. “Despite the adverse conditions of COVID-19, we have increased mutual coordination in many areas like vaccine delivery, climate action, supply chain resilience, disaster response and economic cooperation,” PM Modi said.
He also underscored the importance of maintaining peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific.