New Delhi: Senior officials from India, Australia, Japan and the US discussed new ideas to further the Quad’s collaboration in delivering public goods in the Indo-Pacific region in areas such as health security, digital public infrastructure, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), climate resilience, enhancing maritime domain awareness, countering terrorism and enhancing telecommunication resiliency through undersea cable connectivity.
The officials met via video conference on July 3 to review the progress made by various Quad Working Groups in achieving the commitments made at the May 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
The meeting was led by K. Nagaraj Naidu, Joint Secretary (Americas) from Ministry of External Affairs of India; Elly Lawson, Deputy Secretary (Strategic Planning and Coordination Group), from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia; Fujimoto Kentaro, Ambassador in charge of Quad cooperation/ Deputy Director-General of Foreign Policy Bureau, from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; and Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary (East Asian and Pacific Affairs) and Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary (South and Central Asian Affairs), from U.S. state department.
They also discussed new ideas to further the Quad’s collaboration in delivering public goods in the Indo-Pacific region in areas such as health security, digital public infrastructure, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), climate resilience, enhancing maritime domain awareness, countering terrorism and enhancing telecommunication resiliency through undersea cable connectivity.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the meeting also provided an opportunity for the officials to exchange views on important regional and international issues of mutual interest.
They underscored the Quad’s commitment to a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed the centrality of regional institutions, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
Significance of Quad
Quad is an informal strategic forum involving the United States, Japan, India, and Australia. It aims to strengthen cooperation on regional security issues, maritime security, and promoting a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. The Quad is seen as a response to China's growing influence and assertiveness in the region.
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