Tokyo| May,24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday attended the second in-person meeting of Quad leaders in Tokyo, where he said that the Quad has gained a significant place on the world stage in a short span of time. He said that Quad’s mutual cooperation is achieving a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
The Prime Minister spoke of India’s contributions to ensuring stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Earlier in the day, India had joined the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), an Indo-Pacific economic bloc led by the US to counter China.
“Despite the adverse situation of Covid-19, we’ve increased our coordination for vaccine delivery, climate action, supply chain resilience, disaster response, economic cooperation and other areas. It has ensured peace, prosperity and stability in Indo-Pacific,” PM Modi said at the summit.
The summit is taking place at a time when relations between China and the member countries of the Quad have become tense in the last few years with Beijing increasingly challenging democratic values and resorting to coercive trade practices.
He also referred to the Quad’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. “Our mutual cooperation is encouraging achieving a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific Region,” he said.
PM Modi was welcomed by US President Joe Biden, among other world leaders. It’s wonderful to see you again in person, Biden told Modi.
The Quad summit is being attended by US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australia’s newly-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
