PM says it’s force for global good, reiterates ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
Signaling the growing importance of India and its alliance with the US, Japan and Australia under the aegis of the Quad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the coalition has come of age and it will now remain an important pillar of stability in the region.
Underlining the importance of a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, he also talked about the shared values of the four countries.
Making these observations in the first ever summit-level talks of the Quadrilateral countries, Modi also said, “We are united by our democratic values, and our commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Our agenda today covering areas like vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies makes the Quad a force for global good.”
These statements in the virtual meet came against the backdrop of China flexing its military and economic muscle in the Indo-Pacific region and vociferously objecting to the Quad alliance. US President Jo Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scot Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were other participants in the talks.
Incidentally, the summit level talks of the Quad came months after the Quad nations carried out the Malabar series of naval exercises at a time when the tension at the Line of Actual Control were at a peak.
China has all along opposed the Quad and claims that it will lead to militarisation of the region.
With India emerging as one of the leading players in fighting the challenge of corona pandemic by having world class pharmaceutical industry, Biden said the Quad nations are launching a new ambitious joint partnership to boost vaccine manufacturing for the global benefit, strengthen vaccinations to benefit the entire Indo-Pacific.
Reiterating India’s role in fostering friendly ties with all, Modi said, “I see this positive vision as an extension of India’s ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which regards the world as one family. We will work together, closer than ever before for advancing our shared values and promoting a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
It was in an apparent reference to China’s belligerence with India and other nations always maintaining free movement of maritime assets in the Indo-Pacific.
In his remarks, US President Joe Biden said there is a need to focus on generating domestic demand and driving sustainable global growth. He talked about an ambitious new joint partnership that is going to boost vaccine manufacturing and strengthen vaccinations to benefit the entire Indo-Pacific region.
“We are establishing a new mechanism to enhance our cooperation and raise our mutual ambition as we address accelerating climate change,” said the US President, mentioning the commitment to ensure the region is governed by international law and it is free from coercion.
He also said the United States is committed to working with all its allies in the Indo-Pacific region to achieve stability. “This group is particularly important because it is dedicated to the practical solutions and concrete results,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of the Quad alliance, Australian Prime Minister Morrison said it is the Indo-Pacific that will now shape the destiny of the world in the 21st Century. “As four leaders of great democracies in Indo-Pacific, let our partnership be an enabler of peace, stability and prosperity and to do so inclusively with many nations in the region,” he said.
With growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region, the origins of the Quad alliance are in 2004 when the four countries formed a “core group” for a joint response to the Indian Ocean tsunami to undertake rescue and relief operations.
In many senses, that pioneering effort still determines the core identity of Quad, and the instinct for collective welfare and security for the people of the Indo-Pacific.
The salience of the Quad has run in parallel with the emergence of the Indo-Pacific as a key strategic region. With a growing similarity of assessments about geopolitical dynamics in the region, in 2017, the Quad dialogue resumed at the official level.
In November 2017, the four countries gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence.
The four Quad member countries have been resolving to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific amid growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
India’s approach to the Indo-Pacific was enunciated by Modi in his address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in 2018. Inclusiveness, openness and ASEAN centrality and unity lie at the heart of India’s Indo-Pacific vision. The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a key stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific region.
The strategic significance of the Indo-Pacific was also acknowledged by the US in 2018 when it renamed the US Pacific Command (PACOM) as INDO-PACOM. Several European countries too have published their Indo-Pacific strategies, in recognition of the political and economic weight of the region.
The first foreign ministerial meeting of Quad countries was held in New York on September 26, 2019 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the second Quad foreign ministerial meeting in Tokyo on October 6. The third Quad foreign ministerial meeting took place virtually on February 18. The meeting took place within a month of the Biden administration assuming office.
Earlier this year, for the first time the four countries appointed Sherpas to coordinate Quad-related issues. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is India’s Sherpa.
Saturday, 13 March 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
