Quad Summit 2023

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Quad
• What is Quad?
• Evolution of Quad
• Naval Exercise of Quad
• First-ever summit of QUAD leaders
• News Summary: Quad Summit 2023
• Key highlights of Quad Summit 2023:
• Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement

 

Why in news?

• Recently, Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister of India, Prime Minister of Japan, and President of the United State met for the third in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit. 
• This summit was hosted by Prime Minister Albanese on the side-lines of the ongoing G-7 Summit in Hiroshima. 
  • This summit was scheduled to be held in Sydney on May 24 in Sydney, Australia.
  • However, it was cancelled after US President announced his postponement of the visit due to debt ceiling negotiations in Washington.

 

Quad

What is Quad?

• The grouping of four democracies –India, Australia, US and Japan– is known as the quadrilateral security dialogue or quad.
• The aim of this grouping is to ensure a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo- Pacific.

 

Evolution of Quad

• Following the Indian Ocean tsunami, India, Japan, Australia, and the US created an informal alliance to collaborate on disaster relief efforts.
• Quad as a formal group was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, due to Chinese resistance and reluctance shown by India, it could not move ahead.  
• Later, during the 2017 ASEAN Summits, all four former members re-joined negotiations to revive the quadrilateral alliance. 
• The Quad was upgraded to the ministerial level in September 2019.

 

Naval Exercise of Quad

• In November 2020, the navies of Australia, India, Japan and the United States held their biggest naval drills, known as Malabar exercise. 
• It was the first time since 2007 that all members of Quad participated in a joint military drill.

 

First-ever summit of QUAD leaders

• In March 2021, the first-ever summit of QUAD leaders took place virtually. 
  • 1^st in-person Quad Summit took place in September 2021 in US.
• It was participated by the PMs/Presidents of all the member countries.  The summit was hosted by US.

 

News Summary: Quad Summit 2023

• A shortened version of the Quad summit of India, Japan, the U.S. and Australia was held in Hiroshima.

 

Key highlights of Quad Summit 2023:

• Statements released
  • The leaders issued a joint vision statement titled ‘Enduring Partners for Indo-Pacific’.
    • The statement expressed the resolve of the Quad leaders to act as a “force for good” to find common solutions for region-wide benefit.
  • They also issued three other statements setting out Quad Principles on: 
    • clean energy supply chains, 
    • cybersecurity and secure software, and 
    • critical and emerging technology standards.
  • The Quad International Standards Cooperation Network and the Quad Principles on Critical and Emerging Technology Standards were released.
    • This reflected the support of Quad leaders for industry-led, consensus-based multi-stakeholder approaches to the development of technology standards.
• India to host next Quad summit
  • PM Modi announced that the next Quad leaders’ meeting would be held in India in 2024.

 

Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement

• Explicitly expressed their deep concern over the Ukraine war 
  • Participating leaders, for the first time, explicitly expressed their deep concern over the war raging in Ukraine.
  • Leaders of the Quad countries said that they mourn its consequences, and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
  • They called for ending the Ukraine war through dialogue and diplomacy while asserting that it must not be an era of war.
• Did not directly refer to Russia’s actions
  • Quad countries recognised its serious impacts on the global economic system including on food, fuel and energy security and critical supply chains.
  • However, they did not directly refer to Russia’s actions, understood to be in deference to India’s divergent stand on the issue.
• On Indo-Pacific region
  • The leaders of the four countries also recommitted themselves to maintain and strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region according to international law.
    • In his address at the summit, PM Modi described the Indo-Pacific region as an engine of global trade, innovation, and development.
  • The statement did not refer directly to China, but made pointed references to upholding peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain.
• Quad Health Security Partnership
  • The Quad leaders announced they would now pursue a broader “Quad Health Security Partnership” rather than the earlier Quad Vaccine Partnership for COVID-19 vaccines.
    • Announced in March 2021, the Quad Vaccine Partnership aimed to donate 1.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Indo-Pacific by the end of 2022. 
    • Under this partnership, India would produce vaccine doses, the United States would finance dose production, and Australia and Japan would aid in vaccine manufacturing, distribution, and financing efforts.
• Other regional issues 
  • The joint statement also dealt with Quad concerns over North Korean missile launches, the coup in Myanmar, and the issue of terrorism. 
  • With specific references to the 2008 Mumbai attack and the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, they committed to: 
    • pursuing terrorist designations at the UN Security Council, and 
    • strengthening cooperation through a new Working Group on Counterterrorism.
      • The new Working Group on Counterterrorism was announced during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in March 2023.
• New undersea cable infrastructure partnership
  • Quad leaders also announced a new undersea cable infrastructure partnership to build networks across the region.
• Maritime domain
  • The Quad leaders emphasised the importance of adherence to international law and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight.
  • They noted progress on the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) to help curb illicit maritime activities, illegal fishing, and humanitarian disasters.
    • In May 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden announced IPMDA, an initiative with regional partners and allies to promote a free and open Pacific. 
    • The IPMDA intends to connect regional partners and allies with American technologies to provide greater maritime situational awareness in real-time.
• Quad Investors Network (QUIN)
  • The leaders welcomed the launch of the private sector-led Quad Investors Network (QUIN).
  • QUIN aims to facilitate investments in strategic technologies, including clean energy, semiconductors, critical minerals, and quantum.

 

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Q1) What is Quad Investors Network (QUIN)?

QUIN aims to facilitate investments in strategic technologies, including clean energy, semiconductors, critical minerals, and quantum.

 

Q2) What is Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA)?

Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative. Maritime Doman Awareness (MDA) is a tool for ensuring maritime security by developing a full picture of all activities and a practical understanding of the oceanic environment to safeguard the security and sovereignty of nations.

 

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Source: Quad leaders express deep concern over consequences of Ukraine war | The White House | Outlook | Times of India