Quad remains a crucial platform for promoting peace, security, prosperity, and development in the Indo-Pacific and India looks forward to further cooperation with all its partners, foreign secretary Vikram Misri stated on Tuesday. His comments come even as doubt hangs over the Quad summit New Delhi plans to host in November.
The statement preceded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan for the latter part of the week when both countries are to assess their mutual relationship to pursue a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Earlier this week India and the United States reiterated their willingness to work together in creating a “safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific region through the Quad" following a virtual 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue involving senior officials.
Quad-related cooperation will also find mention when Modi meets Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the annual India–Japan summit on Friday. Modi will depart on Thursday for a two-day visit to Japan before traveling to China.
Among the anticipated outcomes of the visit is an upgrade to the 2008 joint declaration on security cooperation with closer alignment to the realities of the present geopolitics. Japanese media has also announced that Tokyo could declare an investment package of $68 billion in India for the next ten years.
Defence and security cooperation is expected to get a fillip, with both nations concentrating on bilateral exercises, tech transfer, and the announcement of an economic security initiative.
During the visit, Modi is likely to undertake a bullet train ride from Tokyo to Sendai, where he is expected to visit a semiconductor production plant.
Japan, on the other hand, is counting on New Delhi and Washington to close their gaps before the scheduled Quad summit. With India–US ties in a state of transition, there is no guarantee that President Donald Trump would travel to India for the meeting later this year.
Misri said that in recent years, Quad’s agenda has expanded to take on issues of practical cooperation and health security. “It covers critical and emerging technologies. There's an initiative with regard to critical minerals that has been discussed recently. Overall, with regard to how to make supply chains more resilient, and also infrastructure development. So, these are all issues that are a priority, both for India and for Japan,” said Misri.
“Both our countries attach high value to this forum and to this partnership. And we look forward to working with all Quad partners to take our cooperation forward. I'm sure when the two prime ministers meet, the Quad will be a subject that will be discussed between the two of them,’’ he added.
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