The Quad ministerial meeting in Melbourne was in Tokyo later this year to set the stage for a meeting by the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the US with outcomes demonstrating their “positive agenda” in the Indo-Pacific region. ended with plans to deliver more than one billion vaccine doses – India-made with US funding and distributed through Japanese and Australian networks – and donate another 1.3 billion doses worldwide; Preparing for the Indo-Pacific Clean Energy Supply Chain Forum to tackle climate change; To advance a “quad vision” for technology governance and secure and transparent 5G systems, and to undertake humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations, Quad, in the words of the joint statement issued, “will help provide practical support to the region”. More effective.” Despite being the only one of the Quad partners dealing with hostile land-neighbours, India was able to insert a reference to fighting “cross-border” terrorism and condemn the 26/11 attacks and the Pathankot attacks. The relationship between the ministers shows increasing comfort with the principles behind the Group of Democratic Nations, to support regional countries’ efforts to pursue a “free and open Indo-Pacific”. Quad members have so far avoided institutionalizing their group, and that they have not “militarized” it, to their credit. Furthermore, despite Beijing’s sharp criticism of the grouping, the Quad members chose not to name China directly because the joint statement called for ensuring a rules-based order and respect for sovereignty and creating a “coercive-free” zone. The matter was said.
However, while the group is strong on all these precepts, there are clear differences in the practice of their approach to the Indo-Pacific region and the world in general. Myanmar’s position was mentioned, but External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made it clear that while India supports the restoration of democracy, it does not support Western “national” sanctions. The meeting took place in the shadow of rising Russia-NATO tensions over Ukraine, but it seemed clear that Mr Jaishankar did not share US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assessment of an impending “invasion”. New Delhi opted not to participate in the decision by the US, Japan and Australia to ask their citizens to evacuate Ukraine immediately; Nor was any mention of the situation allowed in the joint statement. At a press conference the next day, Mr. Jaishankar’s loud tone (Russia questions dominated), but Chinese troops gathering on the border with India The Quad was also a subtle reminder to the partners that while they may have similar concerns and share many core values, they don’t have a common world view, and the Quad remains very much a group that “is for something.” against anyone”.
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