Indo-Pacific Must Remain Driver for Global Growth: Jaishankar at Quad meet
New Delhi: The Indo-Pacific must remain a driver for global growth and stability and the Quad must work to ensure maritime security and promote economic choices in the region, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. In his opening speech to the quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers, he called for “credible and transparent” partnerships that would bring peace and prosperity, especially to the Indo-Pacific.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi attended the meeting in New Delhi and the meeting was chaired by Jaishankar.
The quadripartite meeting took place at a time of increasing global concerns about China’s increasing display of military power in the Indo-Pacific.
“Our focus will clearly be on the Indo-Pacific, which is the specific border of the Quad,” the foreign secretary said in his televised opening speech. he said.
“At a global level, we must address issues such as supply chain resilience, connectivity bottlenecks, manufacturing and resource concentrations, and gaps in critical infrastructure. Each of these presents a new argument for greater partnerships,” he said.
Jaishankar also mentioned specific “concerns” facing the Indo-Pacific without going into detail.
“This will require increasing strategic trust, ensuring maritime security, encouraging economic choices and fostering a deeper collaborative ethos. And the best way to do this is to foster trustworthy and transparent partnerships,” he said.
The foreign minister added: “As maritime democracies, pluralistic societies and market economies, we share responsibility for a free and open Indo-Pacific. The region must remain a driver of global growth and stability.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for the Quartet to be made as strong and effective as possible.
“We are committed to continuing the momentum of the Quad and want a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Rubio said the areas in which the Four work together have become more important due to recent events around the world.
He said the Quad could solve some of the most important problems facing the world, including energy security, freedom of navigation and critical minerals.
