US President Joe Biden says Quad making excellent progress in Indo-Pacific

United States President Joe Biden in the first in-person Quad  meeting Friday said that the grouping has a common vision for the future and the countries have come together to take on key challenges including COVID-19 and climate change.

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue held in Washington includes Australian PM Scott Morrison, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga, US President Joe Biden and Indian PM Narendra Modi. 

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“I am honoured to welcome PM Morrison, PM Modi, PM Suga for a first in-person meeting of Quad. This group has democratic partners who share world view and have a common vision for future, coming together to take on key challenges of our age,” Biden said in his opening remark. 

“When we met six months ago, we made concrete commitments to advance our shared and positive agenda for free and open Indo-Pacific. Today, I’m proud to say that they are making excellent progress,” he added.

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Earlier in the day, Biden hosted Modi and Suga for bilateral talks at the Oval office. 

Meanwhile, the Indian PM said that the security dialogue between the four nations — India, United States, Australia and Japan — will work as a ‘force for global good.’

On Thursday, PM Modi met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, US Vice President Kamala Harris, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and held meetings with five global CEOs for potential investment in India.

Earlier in March, the first-ever Quad virtual summit had stressed a free, open, and rule-based Indo-Pacific region that is “anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion”.