Prime Minister of India participated in the third in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima, Japan held in May 2023.
What is QUAD?
The Quadrilateral Group consisting of India, Australia, Japan and the U.S. was formed in 2017.
It aims to strengthen the defence and security cooperation amongst the four countries.
It was proposed by the former Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe in 2007 to check China’s growing influence and assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
It has a shared objective to ensure and support a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
What happened in QUAD 2023 Summit?
The Leaders of the QUAD countries participated in person in the Summit held at Tokyo, Japan.
The Summit demonstrated the QUAD’S solidarity and commitment to the common vision of Free, Open, and Inclusive Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and an international order based on the rule of law.
A joint statement on all important issues discussed at the Summit was issued.
Announced six initiatives to strengthen the resilience and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.
What are the outcomes of Tokyo QUAD Summit?
The initiatives announced in the Summit complements the development priorities of the Indo-pacific region.
Clean Energy Supply Chains Initiative to facilitate research and development and support the Indo-Pacific’s energy transition.
The Quad Principles of Clean Energy Supply Chains were approved to guide engagement with the region on clean energy supply chain development.
‘Quad Infrastructure Fellowships Programme’ to support policy makers and practitioners in the region to design, build and manage sustainable and viable infrastructure in their countries.
‘Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience’ to leverage QUAD’s collective expertise in undersea cables to secure and diversify these critical networks.
QUAD support for a small-scale ORAN deployment in Palau, the first in the Pacific region.
They also released the ORAN Security Report to support industry investment in open, interoperable and secure telecom platforms.
QUAD Investors’ Network(QUIN) has been launched as a private sector led platform to facilitate investments in strategic technologies.
The Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, announced at 2022 Summit had notable progress.
Data sharing with partners in South East and the Pacific under this programme is underway and would soon include partners in the Indian Ocean Region.
What are the concerns expressed in 2023 summit?
Russia-Ukraine war - In a joint statement the QUAD countries express their deep concern over the Ukraine war.
However, in the joint statement, they did not condemn or criticise Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Stand of Countries - India has so far refrained from condemning or criticising Russia for its invasion while other 3 countries have regularly condemned Russia.
With strong ties with Russia in defence and energy, India had earlier resisted any strong language in Quad joint statements.
Consistency - All the 4 countries stood for adherence to international law, respect for territorial integrity and UN principles.
The quad particularly emphasised the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, especially in the East and South China Seas.
Implicit reference to China - The statement did not mention China by name but gave implicit reference to China for its dominance in Indo-Pacific.
The 4 countries strongly opposed destabilising or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indo-Pacific - The Quad asserted and called for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific where no country dominates and no country is dominated.
Anti-terrorism - The Quad strongly condemned the acts of terrorism including the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and Pathankot.
What are the future ideas and actions of QUAD?
Shared Values - Quad was moving forward with a constructive agenda based on shared democratic values.
Through shared efforts, the QUAD countries are giving a practical dimension to their vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Designation of terrorists - The countries stressed their commitment to pursuing designations of terrorists, as appropriated by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee.
Continuation - Ensuring that the Quad will continue to support access to quality, sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure investments in the region as indicated at the 2022 Quad Leaders’ Summit.
