The United States has deepened its partnership with India and elevated cooperation with India, Japan, and Australia through Quad, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday. He also said that the US’ partnership in the Indo-Pacific have never been stronger.
"We've deepened our partnership with India. We've elevated cooperation through the Quad with India, Japan, Australia," Blinken said in his remarks at an end-of-year press availability on Wednesday.
The Quad is a diplomatic network between the US, India, Japan, and Australia.
Speaking on the war between Israel and Hamas, Blinken said that Washington will continue to focus intensely on its core priorities: "helping Israel ensure that what happened on October 7 can never happen again, bringing the conflict to an end as quickly as possible while minimising the loss of life and the suffering of civilians."
Release of hostages and preventing the conflict from spreading further were the other priorities that Blinken listed, adding: "once and for all breaking the devastating cycle of violence and moving towards durable, lasting peace."
"We continue to believe that Israel does not have to choose between removing the threat of Hamas and minimising the toll on civilians in Gaza. It has an obligation to do both and it has a strategic interest to do both," he said.
On US and Indo-Pacific ties, Blinken said that the US is "working with the United Kingdom and Australia to produce nuclear-powered submarines."
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"We launched new comprehensive strategic partnerships with Vietnam and Indonesia, a new Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines, new trilateral initiatives with the Philippines and Japan, new embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga," he added.
The US State Secretary also saod that Washington is more closely aligned than ever with the G7, the European Union, and with other allies and partners on the challenged presented by Beijing.