New Delhi:The execution of the Indo-Pacific Strategy has made the United States and the key region more secure and more prosperous and expanded the bilateral partnership with India in unprecedented ways, the White House said on Saturday.
Addressing the media on the second anniversary of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said, "Over the past two years, we have made historic progress in advancing an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure and resilient".
"In the two years since we launched the Indo-Pacific Strategy, we have reinvested and revitalised our alliances and partnerships and taken them to new heights. We have deepened and elevated alliances with Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Australia, the Philippines and Thailand", she added.
"We upgraded our bilateral relationships with Vietnam and Indonesia, and our partnership with ASEAN. We have expanded our partnership with India in unprecedented ways," she said, "We have surged our efforts in the Pacific, including with two historic summits for Pacific Island leaders at the White House and the establishment of the Partners of the Blue Pacific".
In addition, President Biden hosted the historic US-Japan-ROK trilateral summit at Camp David to open a new chapter in this important partnership. Under President Biden’s leadership, she said, the US has elevated the Quad with Australia, India and Japan to a leader-level summit and has delivered concrete results for the Indo-Pacific region, from vaccines to maritime domain awareness to scholarships for students.
"And three of the four official state visits President Biden has hosted were with leaders of Indo-Pacific countries: the Republic of Korea, India, and Australia. This year, the President will welcome Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan. We have also undertaken historic cooperation between the United States, Japan and the Philippines", the NSC spokesperson told the reporters.
She reiterated that the US also built closer ties between Europe and the Indo-Pacific, including through the launch of AUKUS, a historic partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
"Today, we see a recognition both in Europe and the Indo-Pacific that the opportunities and challenges in one region directly affect the other. We’ve seen that with historic support from some of our Indo-Pacific partners for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s brutal invasion. And we see that recognition from our European partners as we work to address the direct military support from the DPRK to Russia’s war in Ukraine", added the spokesperson.
After just two years, she said the US's execution of the Indo-Pacific Strategy has made the country and the Indo-Pacific region more secure and more prosperous. All of this strengthens the United States’ position in the Indo-Pacific and advances our interests in and vision for the region amidst strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China. And even as we confront challenges elsewhere, the United States will proudly continue to prioritise our work in this critical region for our future", added the NSC spokesperson.
Read more:Blinken Heads To Tonga, New Zealand, Australia As US Shifts Indo-Pacific Strategy Into Overdrive
