Narendra Modi says Quad must focus on peace, stability in Indo-Pacific

Leaders of the Quad grouping – the United States, India, Australia, and Japan – agreed on Thursday to prevent a Ukraine-style crisis from arising in the Indo-Pacific, amid growing concerns about Chinese activities in the region.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underlined Quad must remain focused on the core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, PTI reports stated.

Also read: Why controlling Mariupol and Azov Sea is key to Russia’s Ukraine invasion?

“Quad leaders agreed on accelerating cooperation with the objective to achieve concrete outcomes by a summit in Japan later this year,” the PMO office confirmed.

The PMO office also said that developments in Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications. 

According to the prime minister’s office, Modi emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy. He also reiterated the importance of adhering to the UN Charter, international law, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Also read: Russia fixed on goals regarding Ukraine, Vladimir Putin tells Emmanuel Marcon

With Chinese influence expanding in the Indo-Pacific, and indeed globally, the US sees collaboration among the Quad countries as critical to countering China‘s influence.

However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has complicated the relationship: while the US, Japan, and Australia all condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow to deprive it of the resources needed to pose a security threat in Europe, India, which has historically had close ties with Russia, has yet to condemn the attack.

Also read: Russia provides buses for Indians leaving Kharkiv-Sumy regions of Ukraine

India may face penalties from the United States as a result of its acquisition of S-400 missile systems from Russia, but analysts believe that if such measures are applied, they might backfire and jeopardise Quad-country cooperation.