Tokyo/New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that Quad is not a talk shop but a platform that generates practical outcomes, as he concluded an extremely productive and detailed meeting with the foreign ministers of the US, Australia and Japan, in Tokyo.
In a post on X, the EAM said that in a challenging world, the Quad is a contemporary example of trusted partners and international cooperation.
“Concluded an extremely productive and detailed Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting today in Tokyo. Thank @Kamikawa_Yoko, @SecBlinken and @SenatorWong for sharing their assessments.
“Quad today is systemically embedded in our respective foreign policies.
*has an expansive agenda, including fostering maritime partnerships, increasing connectivity, ensuring energy security, supporting dialogue and sharing benefits of technology with the Global South.
*is not a talk shop but a platform that generates practical outcomes.
*involves democratic polities, pluralistic societies and market economies working together for a free and open Indo-Pacific, rules based order and for global good.
*is having a strong interactive dynamic bilaterally and trilaterally as well, enhancing the value of Quad.
“In a challenging world, Quad is a contemporary example of trusted partners and international cooperation.”
At a press conference with his Quad colleagues, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Australia’s Penny Wong, the EAM stressed on five points:
He said that the real satisfaction he has to see how deeply and systemically the Quad “has now got embedded in our foreign policies”.
He said the fact is that different agencies of their Governments and stakeholders beyond them now regularly interact with each other, to take the objectives forward. “And our leaders have personally led the Quad’s growth”.
EAM said that the Quad has built up an expansive agenda in the last few years. “We are working — from trusted telecom technology and under sea cable connectivity, to humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR), critical and emerging technologies, cyber and health security, climate action, infrastructure, capacity building and training, STEM education, maritime domain awareness and counter terrorism.
“And this by the way is the abbreviated list! There are 16 working groups and we have just today agreed on more things to do. All of us are looking at, how to advance Quad, how to resource it better, how to coordinate more closely; and I think we have made some important steps today in that direction,” he added.
“Third, this is not a talk shop but a platform that generates practical outcomes.”
He said “our HADR conversations are reflected in understandings and SOPs between our Navies.
The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative that came out of Quad today links information fusion centres. The Open-RAN network, that we have spoken about so much, is being deployed in Palau.
“A space-based climate warning system will be launched soon in Mauritius. Off-grid solar projects are actually happening in Indo-Pacific islands. During Covid, we cooperated to deliver vaccines to countries in this region. And the first cohort of Quad STEM fellowships is passing out and the second one will also cover the ASEAN.
“The overall messaging is that our four countries – all democratic polities, pluralistic societies and market economies – are working together for a free and open Indo-Pacific, for a rules-based order and for global good. That by itself is a powerful stabilizing factor in an uncertain and volatile world.”
“And fifth, there is a strong interactive dynamic between the Quad and our respective bilateral or even trilateral relationships. Progress on one front strengthens the other and thereby, enhances the value of the Quad. We have also been able to engage together with some other countries in this region in furtherance of a shared agenda,” he added.
“…these are challenging times. Whether it is stability and security or progress and prosperity, good things don’t happen by themselves. They need trusted partners, they need international cooperation.
The Quad is a great contemporary example of both.
“As in the past, I am very pleased with what we have discussed and what we have achieved today.”
