PM Modi vouches for free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific region at Quad summit
- The Indian PM was received by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on day 2 of his Japan visit
- US President insisted that "Quad is not just a passing fad"
- Modi avoided making any reference to the war in Ukraine in his opening statement
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday vouched for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
Modi was received by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on day 2 of his Japan visit on Tuesday as the second in-person meeting of the Quad leaders began.
“Quad has made an important place for itself before the world in such a short span of time. Today, the scope has become extensive, its form effective. At the Quad level, with our mutual cooperation, a free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific Region is getting encouraged – it is the shared goal for all of us,” PM Modi said.
He added that the grouping is moving ahead with a constructive agenda for the Indo-Pacific which will further strengthen its image of a “force for good”.
Underlining that the Quad countries had managed to deliver even during the COVID pandemic, he said, “Despite the adverse situation of Covid-19, we’ve increased our coordination for vaccine delivery, climate action, supply chain resilience, disaster response, economic cooperation and other areas. It has ensured peace, prosperity and stability in Indo-Pacific.”
Also Read: Is Quad ‘Asian NATO’; origins explained
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden insisted that “Quad is not just a passing fad… we mean business.”
The summit is taking place exactly three months after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Indian PM, however, avoided making any reference to the war in his opening statement.
Also Read: Why China views Quad as the ‘Asian NATO’
On the other hand, Joe Biden said that “Putin is just trying to extinguish a culture.” “This is more than just a European issue, it’s a global issue. Global food crisis may worsen by Russia blocking Ukraine from exporting its grains. As long as Russia continues the war, US will work with its partners,” he said.
Biden also said that the US military would defend Taiwan if China invaded. With that statement, Biden dispensed with the “strategic ambiguity” traditionally favoured by US presidents.
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