“We remain committed to upholding the rules-based international order, backed by the rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in international seas, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the peaceful resolution of disputes,” he said Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday at the Quad Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo.
Jaishankar said that India hopes to seek collective solutions to global challenges, including global recovery from the pandemic and reform of multilateral institutions. “As vibrant and pluralistic democracies with shared values, our nations have collectively affirmed the importance of maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific environment,” said Jaishankar.
Jaishankar further stated that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has underscored the importance of like-minded nations coordinating responses to the various challenges that the pandemic has highlighted.
“As we collectively navigate these uncharted waters, we seek to emerge from the pandemic tougher than ever,” he said.
“It is a matter of satisfaction that the Indo-Pacific concept has gained increasing acceptance,” added Jaishankar.
Jaishankar also mentioned the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative that was presented by India at the East Asia Summit last year.
In November 2017, the four countries shaped the long-pending proposal to establish the “Quad” to develop a new strategy to keep critical shipping lanes in the Indo-Pacific free from any influence.
The first meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries within the framework of the ‘Quad’ took place in New York in September 2019.
The second ministerial meeting of the quadrilateral coalition on Tuesday is expected to collectively affirm the importance of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific in the context of growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.
Speaking at the beginning of a Quad meetingAt a meeting of the foreign ministers of the United States, Australia, India and Japan, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that all partners were seeking a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Pompeo said it is now more critical than ever for regional allies in the Indo-Pacific to collaborate against what he called “exploitation, coercion and corruption” of the Chinese Communist Party.
(With inputs from agencies)
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