New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said New Delhi is committed to upholding the rules-based international order, respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes.
Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Tokyo to attend the Quad meeting along with his counterparts from Japan, the US and Australia. While addressing the dignitaries, he said, "We remain committed to upholding the rules-based international order, underpinned by rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in international seas, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes."
He also 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”. It is a matter of satisfaction that the Indo-Pacific concept has gained increasingly wider acceptance. The Indo-Pacific Ocean’s initiative that we tabled at East Asia Summit last year is developed with considerable promise in that context, he added.
“As vibrant and pluralistic democracies with shared values, the nations have collectively affirmed the importance of maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” Jaishankar told the meeting, which was also attended by Australian foreign minister Marise Payne, Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
“Delighted to join my Quad colleagues at our Ministerial consultations in Tokyo. Thank FM @moteging for his gracious hospitality”, Jaishankar tweeted on Tuesday. With India set to begin a two-year stint as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council next year, Jaishankar said the country looks forward in “seeking collective solutions to global challenges, including global recovery from the pandemic and reform of multilateral institutions”.
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Delighted to join my QUAD colleagues at our Ministerial consultations in Tokyo. Thank FM @moteging for his gracious hospitality.https://t.co/hFSZRPu7Rf pic.twitter.com/1gfxiHdHXs
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 6, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Delighted to join my QUAD colleagues at our Ministerial consultations in Tokyo. Thank FM @moteging for his gracious hospitality.https://t.co/hFSZRPu7Rf pic.twitter.com/1gfxiHdHXs
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 6, 2020Delighted to join my QUAD colleagues at our Ministerial consultations in Tokyo. Thank FM @moteging for his gracious hospitality.https://t.co/hFSZRPu7Rf pic.twitter.com/1gfxiHdHXs
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 6, 2020
Read: US, Australia, India, Japan discuss China's growing power
Jaishankar noted the fact that representatives of the four countries are meeting physically, despite the global pandemic, is a testimony of the importance these consultations have gained, particularly in recent times.“Our world is significantly different today than what it was when we last met in New York in September 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a profound transformation globally”, he reiterated.
India’s objective is to advance the security and economic interests of all countries with legitimate and vital interests in the region, he said. “It is a matter of satisfaction that the Indo-Pacific concept has gained increasingly wider acceptance,” he said.
It, however, deserves a special mention that all four members of the Quad have serious differences with China – the Australian government has pledged to halt projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Japan is worried about Chinese intrusions near the Senkaku Islands, and the US is engaged in a trade war and has opposed China’s aggressive activities in the South China Sea.
Jaishankar and his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the US are expected to discuss on plans for manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine, connectivity, development of 5G technology, maritime cooperation, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, development of critical infrastructure, supply chains, China’s growing assertiveness and influence.
According to reports, the issue of Australia’s inclusion in the Malabar naval exercise to be conducted by India, Japan and the US at the end of this year is also expected to be figured out in the discussions of the Quad, which was upgraded to the ministerial level in September last year.
Earlier today, ahead of the Quad meeting, Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with the US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in Tokyo.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted, “Productive meeting today with Indian Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar. Together we are advancing US-India relations, combating COVID-19, and ensuring a securing and prosperous Indo Pacific for all”.
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Productive meeting today with Indian Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar. Together we are advancing U.S.-India relations, combatting COVID-19, and ensuring a secure and prosperous #IndoPacific for all. pic.twitter.com/p09FnSrQBV
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 6, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Productive meeting today with Indian Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar. Together we are advancing U.S.-India relations, combatting COVID-19, and ensuring a secure and prosperous #IndoPacific for all. pic.twitter.com/p09FnSrQBV
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 6, 2020Productive meeting today with Indian Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar. Together we are advancing U.S.-India relations, combatting COVID-19, and ensuring a secure and prosperous #IndoPacific for all. pic.twitter.com/p09FnSrQBV
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 6, 2020
Jaishankar also called on Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga along with other Quad Foreign Ministers and spoke about the bilateral and global dimensions of India-Japan special partnership. Jaishankar is also set to hold separate meetings with Australian foreign minister Marise Payne and Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi on October 7.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as Quad, is an informal strategic forum between India, US, Japan, and Australia. The strategic alliance was formed to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and check China’s expansionist efforts in the region, which has become a major cause of concern for a rules-based order.
Also read : Quad meet: Jaishankar holds talks with Mike Pompeo in Tokyo
