In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the Quad nations addressed the Indo-Pacific zone, New Marine Monitoring Programme, the war in Ukraine, Covid cooperation, and the climate agreement.
The Quad has vowed to adhere to its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and to continue working together to combat Covid.
The Ukraine crisis was also acknowledged in a joint statement following the Tokyo summit regarding a changing global security picture. However, neither China nor Russia were mentioned in the carefully crafted message.
It also promised to cooperate on healthcare infrastructure and work together to combat Covid. Climate change and cybersecurity, among other topics, were discussed.
The following are the critical elements from the joint statement released by the four Quad leaders following their meeting:
Free-and-open Indo-Pacific
The leaders highlighted the need for peaceful conflict settlement according to international law. They also rejected any forceful, aggressive, or unilateral activities to alter the status quo or raise tensions in the region.
A veiled reference to China’s militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea was made in the same breath as references to the risky use of coast guard boats and marine militias.
Despite not mentioning China in the joint statement, it emphasized the Quad’s commitment to “preserving freedom of navigation and overflight in our maritime system, especially in the East and South China Seas.”
Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and its execution have also received its “unwavering support.”
QUAD : Ukraine, Myanmar and North Korea
According to the statement, the Quad leaders reviewed their varied reactions to the situation in Ukraine and the ongoing sad humanitarian catastrophe and its implications for the Indo-Pacific.
The statement talked about the current tensions on the Korean peninsula “Following UN Security Council Resolutions, we reaffirm our commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula (UNSCRs)
Several intercontinental ballistic missile tests violate UNSCRs,” the statement said.
Pyongyang was encouraged to “abide by its UNSCR duties, desist from provocative behaviour, and engage in genuine talks.’
The Myanmar issue “had caused considerable humanitarian suffering and posed threats to regional peace.” The statement called for a stop to the violence in Myanmar as soon as possible, the release of all political detainees, including foreigners, engagement in constructive discourse, humanitarian access, and the fast restoration of democracy.
New Marine Monitoring Programme
Quad introduced a new Indo-Pacific project on Tuesday that allows partners to monitor the waters off their coasts thoroughly and contribute to regional peace and security in China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour.
It will collaborate with regional partners to respond to humanitarian and natural crises and fight illegal fishing.
The statement occurred after the second in-person Quad meeting attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Barack Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The four presidents stated that IPMDA would provide technology and training to enable shared maritime domain awareness to promote stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Collaboration of Covid and healthcare
According to the announcement, the Quad will continue to lead worldwide efforts for the Covid-19 response to improve health security and strengthen health systems.
“We applaud the Quad Vaccine Partnership’s efforts to expand vaccine production at the Biological E plant in India – the long-term capacity will be critical for combating COVID-19 and future pandemics.” it continued.
To improve health security, QUAD also established an objective of upgrading the global health infrastructure and pandemic preparedness and response (PPR).
Pledge to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
Quad promised to stick to the Paris Agreement, deliver on the COP26 outcomes, and step up efforts to enhance global climate change goals.
During the Tokyo conference, the Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP) was unveiled, with “mitigation” and “adaptation” as its two main elements.
The initiative comprises ongoing Quad Climate Working Group activities such as green shipping and ports aimed at a common green corridor framework, clean energy cooperation in pure hydrogen and methane emissions from the natural gas industry, and developing clean energy supply chains.
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