The mutual trust and determination among the Quad member countries is giving a new energy to democratic forces and the work of the grouping is encouraging a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Japan on Tuesday at the second in-person summit of the four-nation coalition.
"Quad is pursuing a constructive agenda for the Indo-Pacific region. With this, the image of Quad as a 'force for good' will be strengthened even more," he said.
The leaders of the Quad, comprising India, Australia, the US and Japan, met in the Japanese capital in the midst of the geopolitical flux triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the steady decline in each member country's bilateral ties with China.
Though US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke strongly against the Russian attack on Ukraine, Modi did not touch upon the issue.
"In such a short span of time, the Quad has made an important place on the world stage. Today the scope of Quad has become wider and the form has become effective," Modi said.
Cooperation despite the pandemic
The prime minister also referred to increasing cooperation among the Quad nations notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Despite the adverse conditions of COVID-19, we have increased mutual coordination in many areas like vaccine delivery, climate action, supply chain resilience, disaster response and economic cooperation. This is ensuring peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific," he said.
In his remarks, Modi also complimented his newly elected Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese saying his presence at the summit after 24 hours of taking the oath showed his commitment to Quad.
