Quad leaders committed to free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region

The Quad leaders in the summit on Friday vowed to strive for a "free, open and inclusive" region unconstrained by "coercion”

Two days after the historic first summit of the ‘Quad’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterparts in Japan, Australia and the United States stated that the coalition was ready to work with other nations sharing the vision to keep the Indo-Pacific region “free, open, secure and prosperous”.

“The Quad is a flexible group of like-minded partners dedicated to advancing a common vision and to ensuring peace and prosperity. We welcome and will seek opportunities to work with all of those who share in those goals,” Modi and his counterparts — Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan and President Joe Biden of the United States — wrote in an article published The Washington Post.

Also read: India, not just Indo Pacific must be open and free: P Chidambaram

The article by Modi, Morrison, Suga and Biden was published just two days after the first historic summit of the Quad. The hitherto informal coalition of the four democracies was elevated to the level of the Heads of Governments, who sent out a subtle-but-firm message to China and committed to counter threats to security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

The article by the four leaders tacitly conveyed the message that the Quad would be open to work with other nations to counter the growing belligerence and influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.

“We are striving to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is accessible and dynamic, governed by international law and bedrock principles such as freedom of navigation and peaceful resolution of disputes and that all countries are able to make their own political choices, free from coercion,” they wrote, adding: “In recent years, that vision has increasingly been tested. Those trials have only strengthened our resolve to reckon with the most urgent of global challenges together.”

They vowed to renew and strengthen partnerships in Southeast Asia, starting with the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), work with the Pacific Islands, and engage the Indian Ocean region to meet this moment.

Also read: Leaders of Quad discuss 'challenge' posed by China, says US National Security Advisor

The virtual summit of the Quad saw the four leaders announcing a partnership to provide Covid-19 vaccines all across Indo-Pacific.

“Together, we pledge to expand and accelerate production in India of safe, accessible and effective vaccines. We will partner at each stage to ensure that vaccines are administered throughout the Indo-Pacific region into 2022,” the leaders wrote in the article on The Washington Post.

They also noted that climate change was an urgent global challenge and dealing with it is a strategic priority for the world. They vowed to work together and with others to strengthen the Paris Agreement and enhance the climate actions of all nations.