Quad Foreign Ministers Vow To keep Indo-Pacific Free From Coercion, Denounce Use Of Terrorist Proxies
The joint statement said the meeting of the Foreign Ministers "advanced the Quad's positive and ambitious agenda".
New Delhi: Resolving to keep the Indo-Pacific region free from bullying and opposed “coercive” economic policies, the Quad Foreign Ministers on Friday denounced the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism.
“In the meeting, we reaffirm the Quad's commitment to supporting Indo Pacific countries' efforts to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific -- a region which is inclusive and resilient, and in which states strive to protect the interests of their people, free from coercion,” a joint statement said in an indirect reference to China’s bullying in the region, PTI reported.
The joint statement said the meeting of the Foreign Ministers "advanced the Quad's positive and ambitious agenda".
"We are focused on working closely with Indo-Pacific partners to address the region's most important challenges. Working together as the Quad, we are more effective in delivering practical support to the region,” the joint statement added.
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The Quad Foreign Ministers during the meeting also emphasized that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any nations.
“We reaffirm UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021) that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country, shelter or train terrorists, or plan or finance terrorist acts, with such ungoverned spaces being a direct threat to the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific,” the joint statement said.
Denouncing the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism, the Quad Foreign Ministers urged nations to work together to eliminate terrorist safe havens, disrupt terrorist networks, infrastructure and financial channels that sustain them.
“In this context, we call on all countries to ensure that territory under their control is not used to launch terror attacks and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks,” the joint statement said.
The Quad Foreign Ministers reiterated their “condemnation of terrorist attacks in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks”.
The Quad Foreign Ministers, without naming China, resolved to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas.
The Quad is determined to deepen engagement with regional partners to strengthen maritime domain awareness, enhance the ability to develop offshore resources and ensure freedom of navigation and overflight besides combating challenges such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, the joint statement said.
The member countries, as per the joint statement, remained gravely concerned about the crisis in Myanmar.
Calling for an end to violence, the Quad Foreign Ministers also voiced for the release of all those arbitrarily detained, including foreigners, and unhindered humanitarian access.
“We reaffirm our support for ASEAN efforts to seek a solution in Myanmar and call on the military regime to urgently implement ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus and swiftly return Myanmar to the path of democracy,” the joint statement said.
They also discussed the Ukraine crisis at the fourth meeting in Melbourne.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia would face “massive consequences” if it renewed aggression towards the Eastern European nation.
Blinken added that Washington is following an approach of diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the issue.
The joint statement further said the Quad partners have collectively provided more than 500 million Covid-19 vaccine doses and that they have pledged to donate more than 1.3 billion vaccine doses globally.
“We are pleased with the Quad Vaccine Partnership's rapid progress in expanding vaccine production at the Biological E Ltd facility in India, which aims to deliver at least 1 billion vaccines by the end of 2022,” the statement said about the Covid-19 pandemic.
Looking forward to the delivery of the first batch of Quad-supported vaccines in the first half of this year, the joint statement said: “We are assisting to train healthcare workers, combat vaccine hesitancy and augment infrastructure, especially cold chain systems, for 'last mile' vaccine delivery.”
“We are working to identify and address vaccine gaps and barriers exacerbated by gender, disability and social inequities, and ensure safe, effective, affordable and quality-assured vaccination coverage in hard-to-reach areas,” the joint statement added.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said the next Quad Leaders’ Summit will take place in his country in the first half of this year.
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