QUAD SUMMIT

Description

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Context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the second in-person QUAD summit held in Tokyo along with his Japanese and Australian counterparts and US President Joe Biden.
This was the fourth interaction of the leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021.

Highlights of the summit

The members retreated their stance for a free open and inclusive Indo-pacific region.
They maintained to uphold the sovereignty of the nations and emphasized peaceful resolution of any dispute across the world.
They exchange their perspective on development and the ongoing conflict in Europe and also discussed QUAD collaboration and its vision.
The QUAD also pushed for physical as well as digital infrastructure with a total fund of $50 billion for the next five years.
From the security point of view, New Maritime Surveillance and Monitoring in the Indo-pacific region seeks collaboration from ASEAN and other island nations in the region.
Prime minister Narendra Modi highlighted India’s consistent and principled position on the need for cessation of hostilities, resumption of dialogue and diplomacy.
- He also emphasized the importance of delivering on QUAD’s positive and constructive agenda and showing tangible benefits for the region.

Analysis of the summit

The recent QUAD summit has huge significance across the world in the backdrop of the ongoing war in Europe.
- As India has maintained a neutral stance since the start of the war, the western democracies were rattling about this.
- The Indo-pacific region is a real theatre of concern, as the Ukraine war in Europe is considered as a region whereas any change in the Indo-pacific region has worldwide repercussions.
Tangible benefits in the region would mean with the announcement of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, push for infrastructure, and maritime security, the QUAD is proposing a multi-dimensional partnership on par with China.
- It is not just a military alliance. The QUAD is giving alternatives to countries in the region whose vulnerabilities have been exposed due to the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
- In alternative to China, the QUAD is proposing a set of projects like increasing connectivity in the region, increasing trade and industrialization, green energy initiatives, disaster-resilient mechanisms and infrastructure.
- Such are set to increase collaboration of various countries in the Indo-pacific region.
Prime minister Narendra Modi made it clear that it should be free and open Indo-pacific by highlighting that no one should alter the status quo by force or take unilateral actions, which China has been attempting with Taiwan.
From a security aspect, the member launched the Indo-Pacific Partnership for maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), which will track ‘dark shipping’, illegal fishing and unregulated fishing.
- It has also collaborated in cyber-security which has an important aspect of the future.
- The member will securely store or share information with the help of collaboration in cyber-security.
From the diplomacy aspect, the QUAD is considered an important partnership, this was the 4^th summit in a matter of two years.
- Because of a lot of disruption and challenges across the world due to pandemics and war, the QUAD emphasized the need to work together to maintain peace and stability.
- The QUAD wants to increase diplomacy by investing in infrastructure, climate change adaptation and mitigation and addressing the concerns and vulnerabilities of Indo-Pacific islands.
There is no ambiguity in the QUAD agenda, it has a clear strategy i.e., against militarization in disputed areas and maritime militia. The need of the hour is coordination in security and economic aspect.