The Quad, a four-member group comprising the US, Japan, India, and Australia, has said it is committed to strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.
The Wilmington Declaration, released after the meeting of Quad leaders US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Delaware, recognised India’s leadership in finalising the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (IOIP) and supported its implementation.
Quad agreed to implement the ‘Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) to monitor and secure waters, enforce laws, and deter unlawful behaviour. To reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in the Indo-Pacific, the group launched a ‘Quad Cancer Moonshot’ focussing initially on combatting cervical cancer.
The joint statement announced a ‘Quad Ports of the Future Partnership’ to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific.
Expressing concern about the coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea, the Quad sought to uphold the international order based on the rule of law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, The group said: “We are united in commitment to upholding a stable and open international system, with strong support for human rights, freedom, the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes and prohibition on the threat or use of force in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter.”
In addition, the leaders underscored that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties. Hailing the track record of cooperation on the COVID vaccine, the group said it will focus initially on combatting cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region.
On humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), the declaration said Quad governments pre-position essential relief supplies for the rapid HADR response.
In the event of natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific, the group concurred on launching a pilot project to pursue cooperation in airlift operations among the Quad countries. The four leaders concurred on launching a Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025, to share knowledge and experience.
The group also agreed to expand cooperation in the area of 5G and Open RAN to the Philippines and Tuvalu.
–IANS