At Quad, Modi speaks of stability in Indo-Pacific; Biden calls out Russia's action in Ukraine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Tokyo on Tuesday (May 24) that the Quad — an alignment comprising India, Australia, Japan and US — has positioned itself as an important platform in the world in a very short period of time and is taking forward a constructive agenda for the Indo-Pacific region.

Besides Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australia’s newly-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the second in-person meeting of Quad leaders in Tokyo on Tuesday.

In Tokyo, PM Modi was received by his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. The Quad leaders’ summit is aimed at further bolstering cooperation among the member nations of the influential grouping and discussing developments in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

Modi said that the second in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Japan  will provide an opportunity for leaders of four countries to review the progress of the grouping’s initiatives and exchange views on developments in the Indo-Pacific as well as on global issues of mutual interest.

Joe Biden said that US would fully cooperate with its “close domestic partners” to push for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. “Russia’s assault of Ukraine only heightens the importance of those goals of fundamental principles of international order, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Biden said.

Much of Biden’s speech was dedicated to the situation in Ukraine. “We are navigating a dark hour in our shared history. Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war against Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe. And innocent civilians are put into the streets and millions of refugees are internally displaced as well as exiled,” he said.

“This is more than just a European issue. It’s a global issue,” he added.

Also read: India, Japan are natural partners, says Modi at Quad summit

Biden said the world is “at a transformative moment” and called for intense cooperation for peace and stability in the indo-Pacific region. He thanked Prime Minister Kishida for hosting and said it was good to see Prime Minister Modi in person and thanked him “for your continued commitment to making sure democracies deliver”.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saying that Vladimir Putin’s action challenges the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. “We should never ever allow a similar incident to happen in the Indo-Pacific region,” Kishida said.

Kishida called on the world leaders to make a “firm commitment” to “a free and open Indo-Pacific” and also spoke about climate change, maritime issues and technology.

Australia’s newly-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was honoured to be called for the Quad meeting – his first international engagement after becoming the PM. “We are committed to the Quad,” he said, adding that Australia was ready for committed action on climate change, including a new target to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by 2030.

Albanese also pledged more support for Pacific nations including aid to deepen “our defence and maritime cooperation”.

Modi reiterated that Quad has given impetus to cooperation among member nations in areas like vaccine delivery, climate action, supply change resilience, disaster management and economic cooperation. He said the alliance has ensured peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Indian Prime Minister will hold separate bilateral meetings with President Biden, Japanese PM Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the summit.

The Tokyo summit is the fourth meeting of Quad. US President Joe Biden hosted the first-ever Quad meeting in the virtual format in March last year, which was followed by an in-person summit in Washington later in September.

The Quad grouping of the US, Japan, India and Australia focussed on free and open Indo-Pacific while Beijing likens it to ‘Asian NATO’ aimed to contain its rise.

The US, India and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.