At Quad Summit, Jaishankar says New Delhi committed to peaceful resolution of disputes
Amid its strained relations with China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said New Delhi is committed to peaceful resolution of disputes and rule-based world order even as he called for a free and open India-Pacific region.
Making these opening remarks at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of Quad countries including India, Japan, Australia and the US in Tokyo, he also said the four democratic countries favour a free and open India-Pacific region. The Quad meeting comes at a time when China is aggressively asserting itself in this region leading to tension. Jaishankar, however, refrained from naming China.
This is the second Minister-level meeting of the Quad countries in the last two years. The ongoing two-day conclave is the first against the backdrop of ongoing tension between India and China at the LAC in Ladakh and coronavirus pandemic. Jaishankar had held a two-hour long bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on September 10 in Moscow to end the logjam at the border.
The Quad meeting discussed the issue of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour across the region. The other three Ministers include Marise Payne (Australia), Toshimitsu Motegi (Japan)and Mike Pompeo (US).
Jaishankar said the events of this year have demonstrated how “imperative it is for like-minded countries to coordinate responses to the various challenges that the pandemic has brought to the fore”.
On the situation in the strategically important India-Pacific region, he said “as vibrant and pluralistic democracies with shared values, our nations have collectively affirmed the importance of maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.”
“It is a matter of satisfaction that the Indo-Pacific concept has gained increasingly wider acceptance,” he said.
“We remain committed to upholding the rules-based international order, underpinned by the rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in the international seas, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes,” he added.
Spelling out India’s stand, he said it was for advancing the security and economic interests of all countries having legitimate and vital interests in the region.
Incidentally, Australia is keen to join the yearly Malabar series of maritime exercise between India, US and Japan in November-end. However, a decision is yet to be taken. Moreover, China is resisting such a proposal of all the four countries of Quad holding a military exercise.
Among other key points, Jaishankar also underlined the need for “seeking collective solutions to global challenges, including global recovery from the pandemic and reform of multilateral institutions”.
Highlighting the growing importance of this coalition, he also said the fact that the four Foreign Ministers were meeting in person, despite the global pandemic, is “testimony to the importance that these consultations have gained, particularly in recent times”. He added, “Our world is significantly different today than what it was when we last met in New York in September 2019.”
As regards other issues, the four Foreign Ministers were likely to discuss plans for manufacturing and distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine, connectivity, development of 5G technology, maritime cooperation, counter-terrorism, cyber security, and development of critical infrastructure and supply chains. The Quad Foreign Ministers also called on Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
India and US on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to work together for peace and stability in the India-Pacific region. This point was underlined during the bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the Quad conclave in Tokyo. Jaishankar will hold one on one meeting with his Japanese and Australian counterparts too.
On his parleys with Pompeo ahead of the Quad meeting, Jaishankar said “Pleased to see the progress of our partnership in so many fields. Will work together for stability and prosperity in the Indo- Pacific.” It was learnt that Jaishankar and Pompeo also deliberated on overall ties including the evolving security scenarios around India.
The US Secretary of State said he had a productive meeting with Jaishankar adding together “we are advancing US-India relations, combating Covid-19 and ensuring a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific for all.”
Jaishankar also tweeted after his meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister that he mentioned the bilateral and global dimensions of special partnership between the two countries.