Quad foreign ministers meeting in Washington DC,in a joint statement, “condemned all forms of terrorism and violent extremism including cross-border terrorism. We condemn in strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals.
“We call for the perpetrators, organizers and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States … to cooperate with all relevant authorities in this regard.”
The ministers unveiled “a new ambitious and strong agenda focused on four key areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology and humanitarian assistance and emergency response.”
The joint statement said “Through this renewed focus, we will sharpen the Quad’s ability to leverage our resources to address the region’s most pressing challenges.”
The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative will “strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical supply chains.”
The first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise will be held this year to strengthen shared airlift capacity and help members respond to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently. We also plan to launch Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai this year.”
It made clear that the group will “continue to counter foreign efforts to push false narratives and interfere with Quad interests in the Indo-Pacific.”
The statement expressed “deep concern” about the situation in the South and East China Seas and warned against the “militarization of disputed features”.
While underscoring freedom of navigation and overflight, it called for “unimpeded commerce consistent with international law … and reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016 is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.”
The award upheld the Philippines rights in a dispute with China over its so called “nine-dash line”, ruling it illegal and therefore having no legal basis and terming China’s activities as harmful to the marine environment.
