New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar chaired a breakfast meeting of foreign ministers of the Quad nations (India, Japan, the US and Australia), during which they resolved "to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas". The Quad joint statement expressed anguish over the Ukraine conflict and emphasised on "respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency and peaceful resolution of disputes".
The joint statement described itself as a "force for good" and announced that a Quad maritime security working group meeting, hosted by the United States, will be held in Washington later this month.
Taking veiled jibes at Pakistan and China, the Quad statement also took a strong stand against terrorism, including the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, and expressed its "concern at attempts to politicise the working of the UNSC Sanctions Regimes and called on all states to maintain the transparent, objective and evidence-based working methods of UNSC Sanctions Committees", a significant statement given China’s past record at the UNSC of blocking UN sanctions on several Pakistan-based terrorists.
The joint statement said: "We strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the area. We express serious concern at the militarisation of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities."
It added: "We recognise that peace and security in the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and reiterate the importance of respect for sovereignty, consistent with international law. We reiterate the importance of adherence to international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas.
On Ukraine, the joint statement said: "We continued to discuss our responses to the conflict in Ukraine and the immense human suffering it is causing, and concurred that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. We underscored the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter. We emphasised that the rules-based international order must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency and peaceful resolution of disputes."
On terrorism, the statement stated: "We unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations. We denounce the use of terrorist proxies and emphasise the importance of denying any logistical, financial or military support to terrorist organisations that could be used to launch or plan terrorist attacks, including transnational and cross-border attacks. We reiterate our condemnation of terrorist attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai, which claimed the lives of citizens from all four Quad countries, and the Pathankot attacks..."
Besides Mr Jaishankar, US secretary of state Antony J. Blinken, Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australian foreign minister Penny Wong attended the Quad meeting.
At the Raisina Dialogue, the Japanese foreign minister compared the Quad to the iconic The Beatles music group. He said, "This is kind of a band like The Beatles. The members are fixed and they always play together (for over) 10 years. But this is more kind of a soft group, so that even within The Beatles, Paul McCartney can release an album solo.
"On the role of China in the region, the Japanese foreign minister said, "We need to abide by international norms and institutions. We hope China will abide by these norms and international obligations as well."
Asked about the reference to The Beatles, the Japanese foreign ministry’s deputy press secretary Yukiko Okano explained during an online briefing that the "Quad is not a fully concrete body that has to work together all the time". And that the Quad member nations have their own individual relationships with other countries and can therefore also act individually whenever they choose to.
She also said that the reference to the Ukraine conflict was made for the first time in the Quad joint statement.
Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar said, "We have expanded the Quad's focus to include many issues: the workings of multilateral institutions, counter-terrorism, tech collaborations, humanitarian assistance, SDGs, maritime security, etc. We're not against any powers. That does not define our partnership."
The US secretary of state said: "The future is the Indo-Pacific and our engagements with the region are strongest now. What is happening in Ukraine has global implications, including in this region. The Quad is a critical part of our engagement with the region."
The Australian foreign minister said: "India is a critical and great power in the region. It is critical to reshape the region. India is a civilisational power and brings a different perspective to the regions’ challenges."
The Quad also committed itself to supporting the Pacific Island countries in line with the objectives of the Pacific Islands Forum's 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
It was announced that the next Quad leaders’ Summit will be hosted by Australia this year. And that the Quad "will work closely to align and complement the Quad’s agenda with Japan’s presidency of the G7, India’s presidency of the G-20 and the United States’ APEC host year in 2023.
